Fans fume over Jason Donovan Rocky Horror no-show in Blackpool

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, external and the star’s, external websites which shows he would not be appearing in.