The Rocky Horror Show is a musical with music, lyrics and book by Richard O'Brien. A humorous tribute to various B movies associated with the science fiction and horror genres from the 1930s to the early 1960s, the musical tells the story of a newly engaged couple getting caught in a storm and coming to the home of a mad transvestite scientist, Dr. Frank-N-Furter, unveiling his new creation, Rocky, a sort of Frankenstein-style monster in the form of an artificially made, fully grown, physically perfect muscle man.
The show was produced and directed by Jim Sharman. The original London production of the musical was premiered at the Royal Court Theatre (Upstairs) on 19 June 1973 (after two previews on 16 and 18 June 1973). It later moved to several other locations in London and closed on 13 September 1980. The show ran for a total of 2,960 performances in London and won the 1973 Standard Theatre Award for Best Musical. Songs in the musical include "Time Warp" and "Sweet Transvestite" (co-written by O'Brien and Richard Hartley), while the costumes were designed by Sue Blane. Its 1974 debut in the United States in Los Angeles had a successful nine-month run, but its 1975 Broadway debut at the Belasco Theatre lasted only three previews and forty-five showings, despite earning one Tony Award nomination and three Drama Desk nominations. Various international productions have since spanned across six continents as well as West End and Broadway revivals and eight UK tours. It was nominated for the 1991 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival. Actor Tim Curry, who originated the role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, became particularly associated with the musical.
The musical was adapted into the 1975 film The Rocky Horror Picture Show, starring O'Brien as Riff Raff, with Curry also reprising his role; the film has the longest-running release in film history. In 2016, it was adapted into the television film The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let's Do the Time Warp Again. The musical was ranked eighth in a BBC Radio 2 listener poll of the "Nation's Number One Essential Musicals", and it was one of eight British musicals featured on a commemorative stamp issued by the Royal Mail in 2011.
The Rocky Horror Show has a cult following and influenced countercultural and sexual liberation movements that followed on from the 1960s. It was one of the first popular musicals to depict fluid sexuality during a time of division between generations and a lack of sexual difference acceptance. Like the film adaptation, the musical is noted for a long-running tradition of audience participation through call-back lines and attending dressed up as characters from the show. On the 50th anniversary of the musical in 2023, BBC News states that since debuting in London in 1973 the "production has been performed in 20 different languages" and been "seen by 30 million people globally".
Background and original production
Richard O'Brien wrote The Rocky Horror Show between acting jobs in the early 1970s. Since his youth, he had a passion for science fiction and B horror movies; he wanted to combine elements of the unintentional humour of B horror movies, the portentous dialogue of schlock-horror, aspects of Steve Reeves muscle films, transvestism and 1950s rock and roll into The Rocky Horror Show. He conceived and wrote the play during the glam rock fad in British popular culture and has said: "glam rock allowed me to be myself more".
O'Brien took a small portion of his unfinished draft of the show to Australian director Jim Sharman, who decided he wanted to direct it at the small experimental space Upstairs at the Royal Court Theatre in Sloane Square, Chelsea, London. Sharman had met O'Brien in London when he directed the first British stage production of Jesus Christ Superstar and had chose O'Brien from the chorus to play King Herod for one stand-in performance. Tim Curry ran into O'Brien in London, who told Curry to talk to Sharman and gave him the script; Curry recalled thinking: "Boy, if this works, it's going to be a smash." The original creative team included costume designer Sue Blane and musical director Pete Moss. Michael White was brought in to produce the show. In rehearsal, the working title was They Came from Denton High, but it was changed just before previews at the suggestion of Sharman to The Rocky Horror Show.
After two previews, the show premiered without an interval at the Royal Court's 63-seat Theatre Upstairs on 19 June and ran until 20 July 1973. Curry, originating Dr. Frank-N-Furter, decided that the character should not be merely a drag queen, he should speak in the extravagantly posh accent of Britain's Queen. The cast also included Patricia Quinn, Nell Campbell (billed as Little Nell), Julie Covington, Christopher Malcolm and O'Brien, and the performances were given an all-out camp style. It was a creative, critical and commercial success. At the premiere a reviewer for The Guardian wrote: "it achieves the rare feat of being witty and erotic at the same time", and Curry gives a "garishly Bowiesque performance as the ambisextrous doctor." Record producer Jonathan King saw it on the second night and signed the cast to make the cast recording—The Rocky Horror Show Original London Cast—which was rushed out on his UK Records label. King was involved heavily in the initial promotion for the show and was the minority backer of it financially with White having a majority share.Thompson, Dave (2016). "The Rocky Horror Picture Show FAQ", Hal Leonard Corporation.
The show's popularity allowed the production to transfer to the nearby 230-seat Chelsea Classic Cinema from 14 August to 20 October 1973. Rocky Horror found a long-term home at the 500-seat King's Road Theatre, another cinema, at 279 Kings Road, from 3 November 1973. The show received critical praise and won the 1973 Evening Standard Award for Best Musical. In February 1974, Robert Longden took over the role of Riff Raff from O'Brien in London. The production ended on 31 March 1979; it then transferred to the Comedy Theatre (now the Harold Pinter Theatre) in the West End to begin performances on 6 April 1979. Some restaging was needed, as the Comedy was Rocky Horror's first stage with a proscenium arch. For the first time, the musical was also broken into two acts with an interval. It finished its run there on 13 September 1980, making its 2,960th performance in London.
Synopsis
Act I The Usherette, sometimes referred to as "Trixie", who works in a derelict cinema, introduces tonight's "film" ("Science Fiction/Double Feature").
After attending the wedding of his best friend Ralph Hapschatt to Betty Munroe, Brad Majors confesses his love to Betty's friend Janet Weiss and the two become engaged ("Dammit Janet"). The Narrator explains that Brad and Janet are leaving Denton to visit Dr. Everett Scott, their former science tutor, while driving into a rainstorm. During the trip, their car has a flat tire and they are forced to walk through the rain to an old castle seeking a telephone ("Over at the Frankenstein Place"). The Narrator explains that Brad and Janet are feeling "apprehensive and uneasy". As they arrive rain-soaked, Riff Raff, the hunchbacked handyman and live-in butler, greets them with his sister Magenta, the maid. Riff Raff, Magenta and Columbia (a groupie) mention a delivery boy, Eddie, who fell victim to unfortunate circumstances after he botched a delivery; they then perform a vigorous dance number ("Time Warp"). Brad and Janet, alarmed, try to leave, but are stopped when Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a pansexual, cross-dressing mad scientist, makes an entrance. He introduces himself as "a sweet transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania" and invites Brad and Janet up to his laboratory ("Sweet Transvestite"). Brad and Janet are stripped to their underwear to dry off.
In the laboratory, Frank-N-Furter gives Brad and Janet lab coats to wear. Frank announces that he has discovered the secret to creating life. He unveils his creation, a blond muscle man, Rocky, whom he brings to life. As his bandages are removed, Rocky appears anxious ("The Sword of Damocles"). Frank admires Rocky's physique in a tribute to bodybuilders ("Charles Atlas Song"/"I Can Make You a Man"). A Coca-Cola freezer in the laboratory opens to reveal Frank and Columbia's former lover, Eddie, a biker covered in surgical scars, who has been rendered a brain-damaged zombie. Intent on rescuing Columbia, Eddie rides crazily out of the freezer and causes extensive damage to Frank's laboratory ("Hot Patootie – Bless My Soul"). Frank panics, forces Eddie back into the freezer and hacks him to death with an axe. Frank tells Rocky – the recipient of half of Eddie's brain – that he prefers his physique to Eddie's, and so Eddie had to go ("Charles Atlas Song" (reprise)/"I Can Make You a Man" (reprise)). Brad and Janet, flustered after witnessing Eddie's brutal murder, are ushered to separate bedrooms.
Act II The Narrator muses that Brad and Janet may be unsafe. Janet welcomes Brad's advances in her darkened bedroom before realising that it is Frank in disguise. He persuades Janet that pleasure is no crime; she asks him to promise not to tell Brad, and they resume making love. In Brad's darkened bedroom, Janet arrives to make love to Brad, who discovers that his lover is Frank in disguise. Frank promises not to tell Janet, and they resume, but Riff Raff interrupts on the television monitor with the message that Rocky has escaped. Janet searches for Brad in the laboratory and discovers Rocky hiding there. Checking the television monitor, Janet sees Brad in bed with Frank and seduces Rocky ("Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me"). The rest of the group discovers on the television monitor that Janet has slept with Rocky; Brad is hurt and angry ("Once in a While"). Riff Raff notifies Frank that there is another visitor entering the castle: Dr. Scott, the paraplegic science tutor whom Brad and Janet intended to visit.
Dr. Scott in a wheelchair is brought into the laboratory by Columbia, where Frank accuses him and Brad of spying on his castle, knowing that Dr. Scott has connections with the FBI. Dr Scott assures him that he has come in search of his nephew, Eddie ("Eddie's Teddy"). Frank displays Eddie's corpse to the group and then uses a device to electronically anchor the three visitors and a rebellious Rocky to the floor ("Planet Schmanet Janet"); the inhabitants of the castle are revealed to be space aliens led by Frank, who abandoned their original mission to engage in kinky sex with Earthlings and work on Rocky. Magenta insists that they return to their home planet now that they have been found out; Frank refuses and declares that it is time for a "floor show".
Under Frank's influence, Columbia, Rocky, Brad and Janet perform song and dance routines while clad in lingerie ("Rose Tint My World (Floor Show)"). Frank entices them to lose all inhibition and give in to their natural carnal instincts, and an orgy ensues ("Don't Dream It – Be It") before Frank leads them into the rousing finale of the floor show ("Wild and Untamed Thing"). Riff Raff and Magenta arrive abruptly, wearing spacesuits and carrying ray guns. Riff Raff declares that he is usurping Frank's authority and taking them all back to their home planet ("Transit Beam"). Frank makes a final plea for sympathy from Riff Raff, explaining his desire to spend his life having sex with Earthlings ("I'm Going Home"). Riff Raff is unmoved and guns down Columbia, Frank and Rocky before ordering Brad, Janet and Dr. Scott to leave.