Fans fume at missing Jason Donovan in Rocky Horror
BBCJason Donovan fans were left "fuming" when they turned up at a theatre expecting to see him in The Rocky Horror Picture Show only to find it was his day off.
Audience members, some who had even travelled from London, were left "disappointed" when he did not perform as Frank-N-Furter in the show at Blackpool Winter Gardens on the touring show's final night in the resort on Saturday.
They claimed there was no mention of his day off in any of the promotional material they had seen while booking for the show, which is on a UK tour.
A statement from the star's management said he had "never been contracted" for that particular show as he had a prior engagement.
Rumours swirled around the theatre foyer prior to the show that the former Neighbours star, who recorded hits such as Too Many Broken Hearts and Especially For You, would not be performing.
Laura Johnson, from Penwortham, said: “We paid to go and see Jason Donovan. We saw him on the advertisements on social media, which said Monday to Saturday. Why would we then question it? Such a disappointment.”
Lucie Robertson, from Lytham, said: “It was a good show, and it’s no reflection on the cast we did see but we never would have paid to go if it wasn’t for Jason. He’s who we wanted to see. They got us there under false pretences.”
Jenny Gwillam, from Walton Park, said: "People were absolutely fuming on the night when they were finding out beforehand in the theatre bar.”
She added: “It was the main reason for booking this time, having been many times before. We couldn’t wait to see him perform. There was no mention on the advert that he was having the Saturday as his day off.
"If we’d have known, we’d have had the chance to book a different performance date. I know we weren’t the only ones to be disappointed after speaking to lots of members of the audience who were also fuming not to see Jason.”
An email sent to one fan by Anthony Williams, head of marketing at the council-owned venue, was shown to the BBC and said: "The event webpage and associated ticketing site clearly stated from the time of sale that Jason Donovan would not appear during Saturday performances.
"This information was available to all prospective ticket buyers, and we advise all customers to review event details carefully before completing a purchase."
It added: "We encourage guests to select performances based on the production as a whole rather than specific cast members, as live theatre is dynamic, and casting can be subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances or contractual agreements."
A spokeswoman for Donovan said he had a number of pre-existing contracted commitments in place and "we were unable to move a couple of them".
She added he "rarely misses a show unless it is due to severe illness or he has a prior commitment, in which case, the date would be cleared in conjunction with the producers".
The spokeswoman said it was made clear on both the show and the star's websites which shows he would not be appearing in.
Clarification 28 November: The headline on this story has been updated to reflect that Donovan's absence was planned and not a decision taken on the night.
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