Busy life for Sheffield Rocky Horror Show star Ben Adams of boy band a1

When he’s not on stage with Strictly Come Dancing star Joanne Clifton in the legendary musical, he’s working with Joanne on a new musical they’re writing together, finding new venues for the award-winning show he created last year, touring with boy band a1 and writing solo music in his home studio… 

No wonder his girlfriend’s a bit fed up with him. “I can sleep when I’m dead!” he joked.

Ben’s having a great time playing Brad in Rocky Horror, the musical that lovingly parodies old black and white horror and sci fi movies.

In the show, Brad and fiancee Janet ask for help at a spooky-looking house one night when their car breaks down and life is never the same for them again, once they encounter Dr Frank N Furter and get mixed up in the weird goings-on.

Ben said: “It’s been one of my favourite musicals for a long time. It’s one of the ones that inspired me to to write my own musical, so it’s a huge musical for me.”

He added: “I had just completed a 16-month tour of Flashdance and I swore I wasn’t going to do another tour for a while, I was just going to go into the studio.”

However, Ben couldn’t resist appearing alongside Flashdance co-star Joanne again. “We spent 16 months in each other’s pockets but we weren’t sick enough of each other, so we decided to do another tour.

“There is a chemistry we have on stage, so the producers thought that will be a great package. We’ve obviously become best friends through it.”

Ben talked about his role. “Brad’s a great character to play, not that similar to my own personality, so it was quite a challenge and quite fun. He’s very straight laced and proper, a lot of fun to play.

“His journey in the story is quite funny, it’s being open to all sorts of sexual antics.”

Which brought us nicely on to the subject of wearing fishnets and high heels on stage.

Ben said: “It was not good at first but now it’s second nature. I can walk around now like most girls and dance around spinning, chucking people up in the air and catching them.

“It’s quite a nice skill to have!”

When Ben and Joanne get any spare time, they’re working on their musical Bloody Nora, which is also going to involve Joanne’s brother and Strictly co-star, Kevin.

Ben said: “It’s about a serial killer from Grimsby. Joanne is very keen to point out it isn’t about her!”

Nora moves town and tries to start afresh but can’t quite manage it. The story is set in the 1930s, so the score features lots of jazz music.

Ben said that an initial workshop of the show went really well.

He said he’d been amazed by the success of his first-ever show Eugenius, which won stage awards and nominations after its West End run last year, and is now looking at offers to put it on both in London and around the world.

He said that seeing Rocky Horror gave him “a kick in the bum” to get on and write his own show: “I thought I’ve got to write something that gives people as much joy as Rocky Horror gave me.” 

Ben said he’s looking forward to returning to Sheffield, where he first appeared with a1 in the Smash hits tours of the 1990s. The boys are back touring for their 20th anniversary and have released a new song, Armour.