Luke Evans In Fishnets And Pearls Is Making The Internet Sweat
Luke Evans is stepping into one of theatre’s most loaded roles, and the first look is already doing its job. New images shared through Vogue show the Welsh actor in fishnets, corsetry, and heels as Dr Frank-N-Furter for the new Broadway revival of The Rocky Horror Show, which begins performances on 26 March at Studio 54 in New York.
What stands out is not just the styling. It is the fact that Evans seems to understand the character’s mix of glamour, danger, and camp without sanding off the messier edges that made Frank-N-Furter so iconic in the first place. In Vogue, he said the part has been following him for years, adding, “It’s funny how it’s taken almost 30 years to actually come back into my life.”
A role that still carries weight
Frank-N-Furter has long been the centre of Rocky Horror’s chaos, sex appeal and rule-breaking energy. Tim Curry made the role legendary in the 1973 stage production and the 1975 film adaptation, but this revival is clearly trying to do more than trade on nostalgia. Director Sam Pinkleton told Vogue he is not interested in “fixing” the show, but in meeting it as it is, while keeping its rough, participatory spirit alive.
That matters, because The Rocky Horror Show still means different things to different people. For some, it is pure camp. For others, it is a rite of passage. Vogue notes that the production is leaning into the show’s DIY punk look rather than polishing it into something too neat for Broadway.
Why this casting works
Evans has the voice, the presence and the theatrical background to carry a part that can easily tip into parody. Before film audiences knew him from Beauty And The Beast and The Hobbit, he built his career on stage. He also told People, “I’ve always wanted to do Broadway, I just didn’t think I would be in stilettos and fishnets,” which gives you a fair sense of how knowingly he is approaching the whole thing.
Can a new Frank-N-Furter still feel dangerous, seductive and funny in 2026? That is the challenge. From these first images, Evans looks ready to have a real go at it.
