STEVE Punt is the first to admit that he’s putting himself well and truly in the firing line with his latest project.

The comedian - one half of successful duo Punt and Dennis - and a regular on Radio Four’s The Now Show will play the narrator in cult musical The Rocky Horror Show which comes to Blackpool Opera House next week.

"It’s a slightly frightening show for the whole cast,” he said, “because there will always be someone in the audience who knows the script as well if not better than we do. If a line comes out wrong they will notice."

In most theatre shows this wouldn’t cause much reaction, but Rocky Horror isn’t most shows.

“The audience have become the extra member of the cast wherever we play,” said Steve. “They will shout out comments, often rude ones, and it’s part of the production.

I always wonder about someone who has come along to the show for the first time not knowing this is going to happen. It will certainly take you back for a few minutes until you realise how it works.”

Unlike the rest of the cast, however, as narrator Steve has the opportunity to fight back and give the audience a little stick.

“The narrator is the only one in the show that is directly talking to the audience,” he said. "You can respond to the audience but you must always go back to the script, you can paraphrase it or deviate from it.”

Written by Richard O’Brien the audience participation element in the show began when the movie starring Tim Curry as Dr Frank n Furter was first screened.

“When the show came back on to the stage the actors suddenly had people shouting lines at them and they had to work out what to do about it,” said Steve.

He is joined in the show by Strictly Come Dancing champion Joanne Clifton and former Blue singer Duncan James as Frank.

The Rocky Horror Show, Blackpool Opera House, Monday, June 24 to Saturday, June 29