Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror

Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Picture Show, the cult classic theatre play and film is celebrating 50 years with a documentary film made about its origins and audience phenomenon. Available on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital from 20th October.

Directed by Linus O’Brien the son of Richard, which adds an extra personal touch to an insightful documentary on how this incredible theatrical musical and film came to pass. The documentary speaks to all the key personnel involved alongside writer Richard O’Brien including the director (Jim Sharman) and producer (Lou Adler), and the main characters such as Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostick as well as some of the Rocky Horror fans who elevated it to its cult status.

Richard O’Brien’s own beginnings are shown with him visiting his unassuming home town in a suburb of Hamilton, New Zealand, where there is now a statute of him dressed in all his Rocky Horror splendour near where he used to work as a hairdresser. Richard took a boat to London and began acting and through a fellow wannabe acting friend, who happened to be Jean Shrimpton (a one-time Mick Jagger girlfriend and famous model), ended up working on Hair the hit West End rock musical directed by Jim Sharman in the late 60s and early 70s. This production and Jesus Christ Superstar were huge successes of his during the period establishing a controversial, sexualised rock ‘n roll trend in theatre.

Richard O’Brien started work on his own script and songs, which were then put into force by an extraordinarily creative collective, that became so much more than the sum of its parts, producing the classic staging and performances of songs such as Sweet Transvestite, I’m Going Home and Time Warp that made up The Rocky Horror Show.

Its cult success was by no means guaranteed and like many cult films it was spawned from a niche (late night) cinema audience that grew from word of mouth, where the fully immersive audience participation of going dressed up as the characters meant audiences clamoured to go to the show again and again and again, making it one of the longest running theatre and film experiences on record.

Its taboo portrayal of sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll makes divisive viewing but there is no escaping the creative magic that draws upon many key genres like the b-movie horror, sci-fi, musicals and LGBTQ (way before this became mainstream). The documentary has extra celebrity endorsements too from the likes of Jack Black who accentuates the far-reaching impact it has had on its audiences that goes way beyond the norm.

The documentary has all the star players’ interviews worthy of its notoriety and the script and song writer Richard O’Brien makes for a knowledgeable raconteur throughout delivering in his own inimitable style and effortlessly reminds audiences of his songs with some acoustic renditions, casting aside his now advancing years. There are just enough stills and footage of the theatres, staging and people in corsets and fishnets to give a flavour of the Rocky Horror experience, which is completed with its songs that confirm its unmistakeable brilliance.

The Rocky Horror Show has been taking generations of people on its strange journey for 50 years now and there are few that can match its heights or longevity in a uniquely provocative theatre and film production worth finding out about.