Putting the “show” into “horror show” and proving itself again and again, Richard O’Brien’s smash-hit rock‘n’roll musical is once again back on the road and due to visit Brighton in early 2023!
I count myself fortunate to have seen actor, composer and Rocky Horror creator Richard O’Brien onstage before. But not, however, in the production he is most known for…
It was 2006 and he was playing the Assistant to Toyah Wilcox’s particularly malevolent Wicked Queen in Milton Keynes Theatre’s pantomime that year. As part of the show they (inevitably, as I am sure most of the audience had anticipated) took a moment out of the action to perform a horrendously catchy song with some accompanying dance moves. The audience roared every word back at them with immense applause and laughter throughout. I had not heard the song before then and the line that stuck with me (by which I mean, never once left my head for the following week) went something like… “Let’s do the Time Warp agaaaaaain”. Little did I know it then, but I had had my first encounter with The Rocky Horror Show.
Now, 45 years since its opening at the Royal Court in 1973, the show returns for a nationwide tour of the UK with a week-long stop at the Theatre Royal Brighton from Tuesday 3rd – Saturday 7th January.
The Rocky Horror Show remains, as ever, a staunchly popular musical, having visited 30 countries, been translated into 20 languages and spawned cast albums as well as a film since that first stint at the Royal Court. Its fandom would once have been referred to as a “cult following”, but has perhaps since outgrown that title with numerous adherents across the globe ensuring everlasting popularity. What is it, in O’Brien’s opinion, that earns the show such devotion? “It’s very inclusive, it’s very easy to watch. It’s not rocket science as far as narrative is concerned. The fact that it is such light-hearted naughtiness, combined with root fairy tales has a lot to do with its longevity.”
The show combines a variety of styles from science-fiction to comedy, horror to romance and all with an upbeat rock score running throughout. It is also known for encouraging a degree of audience participation, namely… audience members are welcome to arrive in themed fancy dress!
“I have a very low-brow approach to life, I like populist kinds of themes – comics and rock’n’roll and B movies,” says O’Brien. “The plot and dialogue for The Rocky Horror Show are raids on populist things: from advertising, from comics, from B movies, from sci-fi. It’s a complete and utter raid upon all those elements; a joyous raid.” With this sort of admission from the show’s creator, you might have expected its positive audience reception to fly in the face of the critics over the years. But instead, they too have been won round by the show’s charm and riotous sense of fun with the Daily Telegraph labelling it “Fresh, subversive, essential,” and, after all the years since the show’s opening, the Evening Standard is not afraid to claim that Rocky Horror still holds the title for “Sexiest and funniest show in town!”
“Light-hearted naughtiness”, “a joyous raid”, “sexiest show in town”, Rocky Horror has long been considered to break the mould when it came to musicals. “The songs aren’t showbizzy,” owns O’Brien. “I hope what I’ve done professionally on stage has entertained and made people feel a little bit better when they leave the theatre. I’ve never done anything for back-slapping purposes, to make myself feel elevated in any kind of way. I’m just so grateful that I’ve been part of something that has so uniquely left its mark.”
And left its mark it certainly has. Whether it’s a recent sold-out season at London’s Playhouse Theatre, a star-studded Gala charity performance in aid of Amnesty International or even a specially screened performance on the Sky Arts channel, The Rocky Horror Show is showing no signs of stopping. “If you’re going to spend a bit of money on a night out it’s good to know that you’re spending it on something you’re going to enjoy. It’s a rock’n’roll show with a storyline on one level, it’s a fairy tale on another level, and it’s as enjoyable and silly as a Carry On on another.”
It seems a lot to take in, but a show that I cannot wait to experience. Is there any advice for those, like myself, that happen to be new to Rocky Horror?
“Come with an open heart and a good will or not at all.”
Theatre Royal Brighton, Tuesday 3rd January – Saturday 7th January 2023
For tickets and further information click here
Photo by David Freeman
