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All the times Luke Evans did theatre

The Welsh-born theatre actor and action star is making his Broadway debut as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the cult classic musical The Rocky Horror Show this spring.

Julia Rank
Written byJulia Rank

We're shivering with anticipation — for the Broadway debut of Luke Evans, that is. Starting March 26, the stage and screen titan dons the fishnets of the flamboyant Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show, and it's the latest move in a long theatre career.

Born in Pontypool, South Wales in 1979, Evans moved to London to attend drama school and made his London stage debut in 2000. He spent a decade performing there, mostly in musicals, before film stardom beckoned, making him both an action hero (in movies like Clash of the Titans) and movie-musical leading man (in films like Beauty and the Beast).

As Evans prepares to take on his latest scene-stealing role, learn more about his wide-ranging, award-winning stage credits below. Then, get tickets to join him at Frank-N-Furter's castle (that is, Studio 54).

Get The Rocky Horror Show tickets now.

Summary

  • Luke Evans makes his Broadway debut as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show from March 26
  • He performed in numerous stage shows in London's West End before achieving film stardom
  • He has also starred in Disney movie musicals like Beauty and the Beast and Pinocchio

La Cava

Taboo

Miss Saigon

Avenue Q

Rent Remixed

Small Change

Piaf

Beauty and the Beast

Pinocchio

Backstairs Billy

The Rocky Horror Show

La Cava

In 2000, Evans made his debut in the West End, London's equivalent of Broadway. He played the small role of Theo Perez in the historical musical La Cava (translated as “the scarlet woman”), set in eighth-century Spain and North Africa. London Theatre’s reviewer said this now-forgotten musical melodrama “has forbidden love, vengeance, religious prejudice, betrayal, passion and more.”

Taboo

Boy George’s 1980s-set autobiographical musical played in a converted Leicester Square basement nightclub in 2002. Evans portrayed Billy, an aspiring photographer who leaves the suburbs for London and befriends members of the New Romantics movement. London Theatre’s critic said “Luke Evans as Billy and Dianne Pilkington as Kim perform admirably.” The show was nominated for four Olivier Awards.

Miss Saigon

Evans next toured the U.K. in the epic wartime musical in 2003, starring as G.I. Chris Scott. This role gave him the chance to showcase his vocal and dramatic chops with the songs “Why God Why,” “Sun and Moon,” and “The Last Night of the World.”

Avenue Q

The R-rated puppet musical Avenue Q arrived in the West End in 2006, and Evans performed in the ensemble with other London theatre stars-to-be including Gabriel Vick (Mrs Doubtfire) and Gloria Onitiri (Hadestown).

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Rent Remixed

Jonathan Larson’s landmark rock musical Rent returned to the West End in 2007 in a new version branded Rent Remixed. Evans starred as Roger, an HIV-positive songwriter, in the production that received mixed reviews and ran for three months.

Small Change

In 2008, Evans starred at London's prestigious Donmar Warehouse in a revival of Peter Gill’s 1976 play about a tight-knit Catholic neighborhood in Cardiff, Wales, following World War II. Evans played Vincent, one of two best friends examining their complex relationships with their mothers. He won an Evening Standard Theatre Award for Outstanding Newcomer.

Piaf

Evans kept his theatre streak going in 2008 with Jamie Lloyd’s revival of Pam Gems’s bio-play about French singer Edith Piaf. Evans played three roles, including the actor and singer Yves Montand, Piaf’s protégé and occasional lover.

Beauty and the Beast

“Everyone’s awed and inspired by you, and it’s not very hard to see why.” After cementing his image as a Hollywood action hero in films like Clash of the Titans, Immortals, and The Three Musketeers, Evans got to sing on screen as the narcissistic Gaston in Disney’s 2017 live-action Beauty and the Beast. He starred with Emma Watson as Belle, Dan Stevens as the Beast, and Josh Gad as Gaston’s sidekick, LeFou. My, what a guy!

Pinocchio

Evans appeared in a second Disney live-action remake as the charismatic but ruthless Coachman in Pinocchio in 2022. Evans sang the number "The Coachman to Pleasure Island," and his castmates included Tom Hanks as Geppetto and Cynthia Erivo as the Blue Fairy.

Backstairs Billy

Evans returned to the West End in director Michael Grandage’s production of Marcelo Dos Santos’s royal comedy about the Queen Mother (played by Downton Abbey’s Penelope Wilton) and her codependent relationship with her page and right-hand man, William Tallon.

LondonTheatre.co.uk’s reviewer raved, “Wilton and Luke Evans are a sparkling double act, whether verbally sparring or waltzing together. In a rich performance, Evans gives us a conflicted Billy who both revels in ‘the proper way of doing things’ and yet constantly rebels.”

Backstairs Billy

The Rocky Horror Show

Evans returns to his musical theatre roots in his Broadway debut as the mad scientist Dr. Frank-N-Furter in Richard O’Brien’s cult classic The Rocky Horror Show. The self-described “Sweet transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania,” who is determined to create his perfect partner, is one of the most hilarious and outrageous roles in the musical theatre canon.

Said director Sam Pinkleton in a statement, “I'm giddy to crack this untameable classic open with the razor-sharp Luke Evans at the center.” March 26 can't come quickly enough — can we do the time warp to make his Broadway debut arrive faster?

Get The Rocky Horror Show tickets now.

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The Rocky Horror Show

Frequently asked questions

Where is The Rocky Horror Show playing?

The Rocky Horror Show is playing at Studio 54. The theatre is located at 254 West 54th Street (between Broadway and 8th Avenue), New York, 10019.

How do you book tickets for The Rocky Horror Show?

Book tickets for The Rocky Horror Show on New York Theatre Guide.

What's the age requirement for The Rocky Horror Show?

The recommended age for The Rocky Horror Show is Ages 14+..

What is The Rocky Horror Show about?

A musical theatre classic, The Rocky Horror Show follows an engaged couple who get lost on the road before happening upon a mansion. Inside, a colorful cast of characters greet them to unleash their dreams and desires.

What are the songs in Rocky Horror?

The pop-rock songs in this show have become musical theatre favorites, including "Dammit Janet,” “Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a Touch Me,” and “Time Warp."

Who wrote The Rocky Horror Picture Show?

Richard O'Brien, an actor and writer, wrote the songs and book for this show.

Who directs The Rocky Horror Picture Show?

Sam Pinkleton: his Broadway shows include Oh, Mary! and Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, for which he was nominated for Tony Awards.

Is The Rocky Horror Picture Show good?

The show has not just a cult but a mainstream following as the film version is known for its midnight screenings worldwide, and the musical itself is beloved for its catchy songs, dyanmic characters, and clever look at queerness and gender.

Is The Rocky Horror Picture Show appropriate for kids?

The show has some adult themes, and children under four cannot enter Broadway houses.