Rocky Horror Picture Show at Dominion Theatre – 50th Anniversary

The Meet & Greet before the event took some time to organise, but eventually we got a picture opportunity with 4 of the cast of the film, Barry Bostwick (Brad), Nell Campbell (Columbia), Patricia Quinn (Magenta) and Peter Hinwood (Rocky, pictured).

I was positioned next to Barry Bostwick who played Brad. I seemed to remember Brad was the straight laced character who enters the Rocky Horror house with Janet (played by Susan Sarandon). Now in his 80s, he was bright, sharp and super confident and I immediately liked him and put my arm around him when it came to the photo shoot.

We rushed to our seats with seconds to spare and the show opened with the chairman of the Rocky Horror Fan Club warming the audience and cautioning them on some of the swearing and rude stuff that might happen (no refunds!). My social anxiety was clearly unfounded as there was a guy in gold lammy shorts and nothing else, several blokes of varying ages and sizes wearing basques, stockings and suspenders, and women of all shapes and sizes doing the same. They wore them with pride and strutted around the aisles. I have no idea what part of their brain is different from mine, but it clearly is.

Prior to the show starting, there was a quick interview with the 4 cast members which had some nice touches and insight but it wasn’t what I expected. I thought it was the musical I was coming to see and this was different.

Then the original film was started on the big screen. As it started, Brad was wearing a dinner suit and a tartan bow-tie and tartan cumber band and wore similar glasses to me, so I felt I chose well. A ‘shadow cast’ made up of fans with their makeshift costumes, would re-enact the scenes as they were being shown on the big screen. The roudy crowd would shout out often and regularly, sing along (I use the word sing loosely), throw rice, use laser pointers on the screen, and wear some of the items in the prop bag handed out to everyone. For example, a newspaper for when Susan Sarandan holds a newspaper above her head when it rains and a rubber glove for when Tim Burton does his operation in the lab.

Rocky Horror is a mad film and it’s audiences are well aligned. In a good way. There’s an abandonment of concerns of social norms. Rules are meant to be broken. There is no ‘normal’. Strange and bizarre is the new normal. It was a fun night. A little different to whatI thought was going to happen, but different was what I needed. We probably all need a bit of Rocky Horror in our lives, every year or two, to ensure we clear the cobwebs of judgement, lighting up, and not taking the world so serious.

Happy 50th Anniversary to Rocky Horror Picture Show and those who continue to break the rules and social norms. It’s good for the soul.

The 50th Annniversary is touring are the UK.
https://www.rockyhorror50.com/

The musical show is also touring where you are.
https://rockyhorror.co.uk/tour-dates