Todd McKenny in Rocky Horror
By Raquel Neofit
For Vanilla Magazine
Todd McKenney
We caught up with Aussie actor, Todd McKenney, right before the opening of his latest performance in The Rocky Horror Show...
Rocky Horror has such heightened energy and drama, what’s it like when it all comes together on the stage?
It’s like a huge party and it’s the best party in musical theatre.
Have you always been a fan of Rocky Horror? Do you remember the first time you saw it (either on stage or screen) and what you thought of it and all of
its craziness?
Yes, I’ve always been a fan and I’ve wanted to play the role for years and years. I have been offered it before, but it wasn’t at a time that I could accept it, so I was so thrilled that this time it all fit in.
I saw the movie a million times as a kid growing up and it was always outrageous. I just love the fun aspect of it.
You’re playing Frank N’ Furter in Rocky Horror, what drew you to this role? And to this show?
I love audience interaction, which is so important in this show and one of the main reasons I love the character of Frank N’ Furter so much; he gets to play with the audience and play with the cast - that’s really appealing to me.
You’ve played such a variety of roles throughout your career – do you have a favourite kind of character or story?
I actually love playing characters that are really far removed from me in my every day life so this role is about as far removed as you can get. It’s so much easier
to play a character that is not like me at all, which is one of the reasons I took the role. I like playing characters that are outrageous and different because my life is actually pretty boring. For two hours a day my life won’t be boring – I can be totally outrageous and call it art.
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Was this a path you set out? Is where you’re at now something you foresaw in your future as a late teen starting out into the world?
I have way exceeded anything I thought I would do in showbiz. When I was growing up I just wanted to be the best dancer around. I never really thought that I’d have this massive leading role in a musical theatre show. It has way exceeded my dreams and I’m very grateful for that.
What do you love most about your career right now?
That I play in a lot of different worlds. I play in a bit of television, a bit in radio, a lot in theatre (and I do different types of theatre) so I never get sick of it or bored because it’s always changing. I love the fact that the phone can ring one day and all of a sudden you’re doing something you never dreamt of. I’m off to London soon to rehearse for Rocky Horror and I never thought I’d be rehearsing Rocky Horror in London.
And what are you most looking forward to?
I do tend to go with the flow. I have this philosophy where I say yes before I say no to things. Sometimes it gets me into trouble and sometimes I just have a great time. It’s been my philosophy all the way through my career. I will give anything a go – it doesn’t have to be a starring role in a major musical, it can be emceeing a fashion show at a shopping centre – it doesn’t matter. I just love working and I want to keep working so my philosophy is to just say yes.
And some of your most memorable roles or moments over the years, which ones do you look back on most fondly?
The opening night of The Boy from Oz was one of the scariest nights of my life because I just didn’t know if the audience was going to love it, and they did love it. It was so exhilarating and such a thrill. I can honestly remember it like it was yesterday. Also, the success of Dancing With The Stars just changed my life and has been incredibly important to me. It put me in people's lounge rooms and opened so many doors for me. It enabled me to fill theatres, which is my first love.
What’s next, with all of this activity in your life, what’s coming after Rocky Horror?
After Rocky Horror I am taking a break. I’m doing a Bravo Cruise (an entertainer's cruise) around the South Pacific, which I’m really looking forward to. Then I’m having a break until Carols In The Domain and then I’m having the first three months of next year off. I’ve rented a little place on the Hawkesbury River and I’m going to fish for three months over summer.
