Former Strictly Come Dancing champion Ore Oduba says Rocky Horror Show is 'perfect remedy' after pandemic

After a tumultuous two years for theatre, Ore Oduba believes The Rocky Horror Show is just the tonic that audiences need. “This show is the perfect remedy to everything we’ve all been through,” says the Strictly Come Dancing champion, who stars in the musical when it hits the road again this year.

“People want to laugh and be uplifted and to be able to forget about everything for a couple of hours.”

Oduba plays squeaky-clean Brad Majors - who, along with his fiancée Janet Weiss, inadvertently cross paths with mad scientist Frank-N-Furter and his bunch of outrageous followers. Cue fun, frocks and frivolity, classic songs like The Time Warp and Oduba in various states of undress.

He was quick to say yes when the offer to play Brad came in, although he did consult with his wife, TV researcher Portia, first. “It’s such an iconic show and so well-loved,” Oduba says.

“But I thought ‘I wonder what my wife is going to say about audiences seeing me in stockings’. I needn’t have worried because what I’d forgotten is that Rocky Horror is one of her and her family’s favourite shows of all time. She was beside herself.”

Can he relate to the nerdy character whose visit to Frank-N-Furter’s castle proves to be an inhibition-shedding experience? “I think there’s a lot of Brad in me and in a lot of people,” the 35- year-old admits. “It’s the idea of being kind of caged animals, because we all have a lot of reservations and inhibitions and things we hold back. We’re just waiting to be unleashed.”

Not that Oduba has ever been the shy sort. Born in London and raised in Dorset, he studied sports and social sciences at Loughborough University before his first job as a sports broadcaster in Edinburgh. In 2008 he joined the Newsround team before going on to present BBC Breakfast, Radio 5 Live and The One Show among many other credits.

Partnering with Joanne Clifton on the 14th series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2016, he jived his way to victory, then both performed in and hosted Strictly live tours.

He has continued to work as a presenter as well as branching out into musical theatre, playing crooner Teen Angel in the 2019 Grease UK tour and songwriter Aaron Fox in the 2019/2020 tour and West End production of Curtains.

Doing theatre feels like things have come full circle for Oduba; one of his proudest moments was when at age 13 he won the school drama prize for his performance in the musical Seven Golden Dragons.

“Then at secondary school I did every production under the sun. It was only when I went to university that I turned my attention to broadcasting, but Strictly reminded me ‘Oh my gosh, I love being on stage’.

“On the surface doing musical theatre now might seem like a big change-up but when I look back to where I felt happiest and most comfortable when I was younger it was always on stage. In many ways it’s kind of what I always wanted to do.”

Doing The Time Warp won’t be a problem for Oduba, who has kept up the dancing since Strictly. “Every time I get to do something involving choreography it gets me as excited as I was when I did Strictly. I love it.”

Being on the road means Oduba won’t get to see much of Portia and their three-year-old son Roman. “For my little boy it’s heartbreaking that daddy sometimes has to go away to work for periods of time,” Oduba admits, “but it’s about managing it and making the most of that time together when I’m at home.

“Having said that, I have been at home pretty much non-stop for more than a year now. My wife will be the one pushing me out the door. She can’t wait for me to get back out on the road.”

The Rocky Horror Show plays Grand Opera House York between 14 and 19 March 2022. For tickets, visit www.atgtickets.com/york

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