The Rocky Horror Show This article is about the musical. For its motion picture Rocky Horror Show to keep himself busy on winter adaptation, see The Rocky Horror Picture Show. evenings. Since his youth, O'Brien had developed a pas- sion for science fiction and B horror movies; he wanted to The Rocky Horror Show is a musical with music, lyrics combine elements of the unintentional humour of B hor- ror movies, portentous dialogue of schlock-horror, Steve and a book by Richard O'Brien. A humorous tribute to the science fiction and horror B movies of the late 1940s Reeves muscle flicks and fifties rock and roll into The .[2] A major theme running through- through to the early 1970s, the musical tells the story of a Rocky Horror Show newly engaged couple getting caught in a storm and com- out the musical is transvestitism, which according to ing to the home of a mad transvestite scientist unveiling O'Brien was not originally meant to be as prominent as his new creation, a muscle man named Rocky Horror. it would end up being. Produced and directed by Jim Sharman, the original Lon- O'Brien took a small amount of his unfinished Rocky don production of the musical premiered at the Royal Horror to Australian director Jim Sharman, who de- Court Theatre (Upstairs) on 19 June 1973 before mov- cided he wanted to direct it at the small experimental ing to several other locations in London and closing on space Upstairs at the Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, Chelsea, London, which was used as a project space for 13 September 1980, running for a total of 2,960 perfor- [3] mances and winning the 1973 Evening Standard Theatre new work. Sharman had received some success with Award for Best Musical. Its 1974 debut in the US in the original Australian production of Jesus Christ Super- Los Angeles had a successful nine-month run but its 1975 star during which he met O'Brien, who had played King Broadway debut at the Belasco Theatre lasted only three Herod for just one performance. Sharman brought in fel- previews and forty five showings despite earning one Tony low Australians Nell Campbell and long-time scenic de- nomination and three Drama Desk nominations. Various signer Brian Thomson to the production. international productions have since spanned across six Star Tim Curry recalled his first encounter with the script: continents as well as West End and Broadway revivals and eight UK tours. I'd heard about the play because I lived The musical was adapted into the film The Rocky Hor- on Paddington Street, off Baker Street, and ror Picture Show (1975), which has the longest-running there was an old gym a few doors away. I saw release in film history. The musical was ranked 8th in a Richard O'Brien in the street, and he said he'd BBC Radio 2 listener poll of the “Nation’s Number One just been to the gym to see if he could find a Essential Musicals”.[1] muscleman who could sing. I said, “Why do you need him to sing?" [laughs] And he told me that his musical was going to be done, and I should talk to Jim Sharman. He gave me the 1 History script, and I thought, “Boy, if this works, it’s going to be a smash.”[4] The original creative team was then rounded out by cos- tume designer Sue Blane and musical director Richard Hartley, although Pete Moss would later take over as mu- sical director. Michael White was also brought in to pro- duce Rocky Horror. As the musical went into rehearsal, the working title for it became They Came from Denton High, but it was changed just before previews at the sug- gestion of Sharman to The Rocky Horror Show.[3][5] After two previews, the show premiered – without an in- terval – at the Royal Court’s 63-seat Theatre Upstairs on 19 June 1973 and ran until 20 July 1973. The cast in- Original programme of the musical from the Theatre Upstairs cluded Tim Curry, Patricia Quinn, Nell Campbell (billed as Little Nell), Julie Covington and Richard O'Brien, who As an out-of-work actor, Richard O'Brien wrote The made the production, which was all-out camp, a creative 1 2 2 SYNOPSIS triumph and a critical and commercial success.[6] Record to his laboratory ("Sweet Transvestite"). As he goes up, producer Jonathan King saw it on the second night and Brad and Janet are stripped to their underwear to dry off. signed the cast to make the original cast recording over Brad and Janet enter the laboratory, where Frank N. a long weekend that was rushed out on his UK Records Furter gives them laboratory coats to wear. Frank an- label. King was involved heavily in the initial promotion nounces that he has discovered the secret to life itself. for the show as well as being the minority backer of it He unveils his creation, a blonde, well-built man named financially with White having a majority share. Rocky Horror, who is brought to life. As his ban- The impact at the Royal Court Upstairs allowed the pro- dages are removed, Rocky worries about his predicament duction be transferred to the 230-seat Chelsea Classic ("The Sword of Damocles"). Frank admires Rocky’s Cinema nearby on Kings Road from 14 August 1973 physique by singing a tribute to muscle builders (“Charles to 20 October 1973.[7] Rocky Horror found a quasi- Atlas Song"/"I Can Make You a Man"**). A Coca- permanent home at the 500-seat King’s Road Theatre Cola freezer in the laboratory opens to reveal Frank and (another cinema house) even further down Kings Road Columbia’s former lover, Eddie, a biker covered in surgi- from 3 November 1973. The show received critical praise cal scars, who has been rendered a (slightly more) brain- and won the 1973 Evening Standard Award for Best Mu- damaged zombie, intent on rescuing Columbia, and es- sical. caping the castle while successfully causing large amounts Its run at the King’s Road Theatre ended on 31 March of damage to Frank’s laboratory, and having partial mem- 1979 before transferring to the Comedy Theatre (now the ories of the way he lived life in the past (“Hot Patootie Harold Pinter Theatre) to begin performances on 6 April – Bless My Soul”). Frank panics, forces Eddie back 1979. At the new venue, Rocky Horror required some into the freezer and hacks him to death. Frank tells restaging as it was the first theatre that the musical had Rocky — the recipient of the other half of Eddie’s brain played at with a traditional proscenium arch stage. For — that he prefers him over Eddie (“Charles Atlas Song the first time, the musical was also broken into two acts (Reprise)"/"I Can Make You a Man (Reprise)"**). Brad with an interval. It finished its run there on 13 September and Janet, somewhat flustered after witnessing the re- 1980. murdering of Eddie, are then ushered to separate bed- rooms for the night. 2 Synopsis 2.2 Act II The Narrator foreshadows that Brad and Janet may be 2.1 Act I quite unsafe. Janet enjoys Brad’s advances in her dark- ened bedroom before realizing that it is in fact Frank in The Usherette, often referred to as “Trixie”, who works disguise. He convinces Janet that pleasure is no crime, in a derelict cinema, introduces tonight’s “film” in a song and after she asks him to promise not to tell Brad, they ("Science Fiction/Double Feature"), with masked Phan- resume their lovemaking. The scene changes to Brad’s toms providing the backing vocals. darkened bedroom, where Brad makes love to Janet be- After attending the wedding of Ralph Hapschatt and fore discovering that, once again, it is Frank in disguise. Betty Munroe, Brad Majors confesses his love to Janet Frank promises not to tell Janet, but as they resume, Riff Weiss ("Dammit Janet") and the two become engaged. Raff interrupts on the television monitor with the mes- The Narrator appears and explains that Brad and Janet sage that Rocky has escaped. Janet searches for Brad in are leaving Denton to visit Dr. Everett Scott, their for- the laboratory and discovers Rocky hiding there. Check- mer science tutor, while driving into a rainstorm. During ing the television monitor, Janet sees Brad in bed with the trip, their car has a flat tire and they are forced to Frank and seduces Rocky ("Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, walk through the rain to seek a telephone in an old castle Touch Me"). While searching the television monitor for ("Over at the Frankenstein Place"). Rocky, the rest of the group discovers that Janet has slept The Narrator explains that Brad and Janet are feeling “ap- with him and Brad becomes hurt and angry (“Once in prehensive and uneasy,” but must accept any help that a While”). Riff Raff then notifies Frank that there is an- they are offered. As Brad and Janet arrive, Riff Raff, other visitor entering the castle: Doctor Everett Scott, the the hunchbacked handyman, greets them, and his sister paraplegic science tutor whom Brad and Janet intended to Magenta, the maid, appears. Riff Raff, Magenta and visit. Columbia (a groupie) speak briefly of an unlucky deliv- Doctor Scott is pushed into the laboratory by Columbia ery boy named Eddie before performing the show’s sig- where Frank accuses him and Brad of trying to investi- nature dance number ("Time Warp"*).