A fellow actor from The Rocky Horror Show has told the New South Wales Supreme Court he feared Craig McLachlan might take his own life after allegations of indecent assault and harassment were published in January 2018. Kristian Lavercombe, giving evidence from the UK, said he kept the 56-year-old actor company that evening, describing it as 'a bit of a suicide watch'.
Lavercombe told the court McLachlan 'seemed to have aged about 30 years overnight' and looked 'very frail' and 'in shock' after the ABC and Fairfax reports were published. McLachlan is suing the ABC, Fairfax, and actress Christie Whelan Browne for defamation over the articles, which detailed claims of misconduct during the 2014 production of The Rocky Horror Show and other shows. He has denied all allegations.
McLachlan's partner, conductor Vanessa Scammell, also returned to the witness box on Tuesday, facing heated questioning from defence barrister Michael Hodge QC. Hodge accused Scammell of fabricating evidence and exaggerating how often she attended The Rocky Horror Show to bolster McLachlan's denials. He said, 'The reason that you're making this up is to try to protect Mr McLachlan.' Scammell had claimed she was in McLachlan's dressing room for '90 to 95 per cent' of the Melbourne run, but the jury was shown texts from her to Whelan Browne in June 2014 saying she had 'hardly been' to the theatre.
Lavercombe also testified about the atmosphere during the production, describing a relaxed environment where cast members frequently hugged, kissed, and sat on each other's laps. He said Whelan Browne and McLachlan shared a similar sense of humour and often played pranks by 'goosing' each other—pinching each other's buttocks. Lavercombe added that Whelan Browne teased other cast members about their talent and appearance, including calling actress Erika Heynatz a 'tranny' and saying she had 'man-hands', though he said it was said as a joke.
The trial continues.
