Going on stage wearing nothing more than a pair of leopard print pants was "amazing" says Dominic Andersen, who is playing Rocky in the iconic Rocky Horror Show at Watford Colosseum.

"It's liberating to be naked," says the 24-year-old from Maidenhead, "it is so natural and so freeing. Once you get past the daunting stage of everyone seeing you and judging your body, it's just a laugh and so much fun. And you don't have to worry about costume changes - I have to get into a corset and fishnets at one point but that's about it - and it makes life easier afterwards when I want to get home."

Although Dominic decided not to comment on whether or not he has a partner, he says that whoever he was with would have to be comfortable with the attention he gets on stage. He adds:

"I suppose anybody that’s brave enough to be with me has to accept that I’m being ogled at every night by 1,400 people… it's part of my life."

Being the focus of attention gets to Dominic too sometimes.

"The most nervous I got was when we did The Rocky Horror Show for cinemas in Europe. There were cameras flying in front of our faces, so if we got anything wrong that’s it, it was on there forever. It’s a terrifying prospect but once you are out there, and you are feeling it, it doesn’t really matter – you just get on with it."

Dominic, who trained in musical theatre at the Arts Educational School in central London, admits that when he first got the audition for the part he had never seen the cult show before.

"After I got through the first audition, I then watched it and learned more and more about it as I went through the rounds. I saw different peoples' version of it too online."

Speaking about his first impression of Rocky Horror he says: "I found it completely bizarre... but I was excited by it. I love things that don't make sense and this particularly baffled me, I didn't understand it, but it was quirky and different and something that I had never done before.

"My version of Rocky is dark-haired and tanned – so going against the norm of having blonde hair. I have based him on a young child, around five to seven years old, when he is first born and then he slowly develops into a man throughout the show."

Also going against the norm is Dominic's costume - Rocky is known to wear shiny gold pants, yet he is wearing leopard print, which he believes is "more appropriate to the era".

"I guess the costumes department updated it from the gold pants and it was a choice I gladly went with. I feel like breaking the norm keeps the audiences excited and guessing."

When it comes to The Rocky Horror Show it is safe to say that you can always expect the unexpected - and that doesn't just apply to the cast, the audience are renowned for dressing up in corsets and stockings on the night. When it comes to outrageous costumes, the craziest Dominic says he has seen is a "very slutty Janet who got her boobs out at the end of the show".

"It is mental," adds the comic and Marvel fan, who's dream role would be to play an Avenger on screen. "And from us, people can expect a crazy theatre show like they have never seen before – it’s sexual, exciting and alive the whole way through. It is a two-hour sting of diversity and mania."

The former Furze Platt Junior School pupil enjoyed playing sports when he was growing up and he was the captain of his cross country team and athletics team in college.

Now he says he enjoys going to the gym - although this is partly to make sure he stays in shape for the role.

"I'd been working out for about three years but when I got the role for Rocky, I turned it on to turbo charge," explains Dominic. "I started going to the gym about six days a week and really turned up the pressure on the workouts, the weights, started eating more and taking more care of my body and my voice.

"I'm not super strict with my diet and exercise, I try and eat as little processed food as possible. Obviously I have occasional days where I just let go and eat what I want - I did that on Sunday. You can't deprive yourself."

Watford Colosseum, Rickmansworth Road, Watford, July 11-16. Details: 01923 571102, watfordcolosseum.co.uk