Wicked, wonderful, weird _{by Alessia Belsito-Riera}

Set in “a time of confusion, when so many madly, strange beliefs collide”, The Kingdom of Bling is a new stage production from the weird and whimsical mind of British-Kiwi creative Richard O’Brien. Coming to The Opera House on the spookiest of days and to Te Raukura ki Kāpiti: Performing Arts Centre the following evening on the 1^st of November, this off-the-wall satire will be a Halloween (trick or) treat.

50 years after launching himself into stardom as the creator of cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show in 1973, O’Brien will return to the stage in The Kingdom of Bling as The Narrator, heading up a star-studded Kiwi cast comprising Shortland Street’s Paul Barrett in the pivotal role of The He; Rima Te Wiata MNZM, fresh from the release of Kiwi feature film We Are Dangerous, as The Mother; Pop-up Globe favourite and big screen actor Bryony Skillington as The Daughter; Indian Ink star Justin Rogers as Mr Fox; and Variety Artist Club’s reigning top male creative Nic Kyle as The Giant. Joining the scintillating lineup in the musical director’s seat is Zac Jones, straight from leading the band in Wellington’s We Will Rock You.

The satirical fairytale takes pot shots at politics, depicting a time when “kindness had been demonised, while crafty blindness wined and dined in a world it had divided”. Breaking the fourth wall, The Kingdom of Bling gives audiences the rare pleasure of playing along with one of the most iconic creatives. Pulling the curtain back even further, O’Brien will engage in a Q&A in the second act, wherein he will discuss his life, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the theatre, and the inspiration behind his latest project.

With all The Kingdom of Bling’s royalties going to Starship Children’s Hospital in perpetuity, attendance will be a treat in every sense. Get ready for a performance as weird as it is wonderful, as wacky as it is wicked!