There are many hallowed St Andrews traditions- from Raisin to Gaudie – which connect students to our larger historical community. Some are as old as our uni’s founding, some are even internationally sensationalised (thanks The Bubble and The Crown), but perhaps none of these traditions are as sexy as the Musical Theatre Society’s (MusT) annual Halloween production of the Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Byre Theatre; and thank you universe for this silly slutty campy tradition that reminds us each Halloween to let our freak flags fly.
Rocky’s cult fandom extends far beyond the reaches of St Andrews, with shadow casts all over the world taking on the beloved personas of Frank-N-Furter, Brad, Janet, Magenta, Rocky, and more. Pop culturally, and of personal importance to me, Rocky Horror has been featured in beloved media such as Glee (Mercedes Frank superiority <3) and the Perks of Being a Wallflower, and specifically the music continually permeates the mainstream to become some of the most recognisable songs in the world- cue the Time Warp, Dammit Janet, Science Fiction/Double Feature, and Hot Patootie, to name a few. The truth is, Rocky’s soundtrack is banger after banger after banger, sandwiched in the film by the campiest, hottest, most outrageous scenes and plot, which somehow seems to include every famous golden age movie trope (intruders, creatures, and aliens- oh my!).
For you readers who have not yet had the privilege of a Rocky shadow cast experience, buckle up and read on; here is what you have to look forward to. Upon arrival, audience members are greeted by cast members, given a goody bag of props for interactive use during specific moments in the film (don’t worry, all of this is explained!), and encouraged to sport a lipstick “V” on the forehead- delineating first-time Rocky-viewers as “virgins”. This makes for fantastic bathroom photo ops. Viewers are also treated to a pre-show experience designed to loosen tongues, encourage audience participation, and all around slut up the vibes. I won’t spoil these but let’s just say willing participants should work on perfecting their moans and condom handling dexterity before attending the show ;). After these games and speeches, the Rocky Horror film finally plays in all its glory, performed by a stunning cast of actors, dressed as their characters and lip-sinking along upstage of the big screen.
For such a dauntingly popular piece of source material and with such an encouragingly rowdy audience, the cast, crew, and production team showed up with poise.
First and foremost, flowers, flowers, and more flowers are due for Ona Wright’s ridiculously well performed Frank-N-Furter, who stole every scene with a sultry, domineering, and tantalising energy. From onstage flirts with the cast, to mimed intimacy with Brad and Janet behind a hilarious curtain, to chasing people around the audience (hijinks well orchestrated by the cast and crew), Ona breathed a charismatic intensity into Frank, which even did the unthinkable: pulled my attention away from the late great Tim Curry giving the performance of a lifetime on the big screen. Ona, like Frank as a character, is supported by a kooky cast of characters. Freaky siblings (or dating?) Riff Raff and Magenta (played by Annie Schofield and Nicole Gibson Morales respectively), “the creature” Rocky (the fabulously smouldering Izi Prothero), obstinate Doctor Scott (the hilarious Joe Hill), and the beloved neck-less narrator (the refreshingly cute and fun Addie Silva) all brought fantastic energy, stellar acting, grungy sex appeal, and hilarious comedic moments. The sliminess of Riff Raff was particularly well conveyed by Annie, who roused huge audience ovations. Special mention must go to the wickedly talented Ellie Shaw and Aidan Stephen, whose tap and swing dance abilities as the spritely Columbia and studded Eddie floored the audience in the dance-heavy Hot Patootie and Time Warp. Ellie and Aiden worked phenomenally together, with moves unlike anything I’ve seen on the Byre stage. I hope they continue to bring their skill to MusT shows in the future.
These wacky characters are juxtaposed by the hilariously mundane Brad (Struan Barker) and Janet (Lila Ahnger), whose commitment to physical comedy and horrified interactions with the other cast induced many show-stealing laughs. One of the best moments in the show happens towards the end, when Brad and Janet both finally “give [themselves] over to absolute pleasure” and join Frank, Columbia, Rocky, and Doctor Scott in a hedonistic floor show. This scene, and these roles in general, demonstrated huge acting chops from both Struan and Lila- fantastic work to them both!
The cast was rounded out by a tremendous ensemble, whose hilarious bits (i.e. the coffin scene), polished dance moves, and set assuming abilities (this amazing ensemble somehow became a car- equipped with headlights, windshield wipers, doors, etc.) were the true heart and soul of this great production. Caroline Kerr led the cast as the Usherette- or colloquially “the lips”- and dazzled in an ensemble-supported burlesque performance of Science Fiction/Double Feature (my personal favorite of the night!). A very special shoutout must also go to ensemble member Carla Anderson, who rocked the stage with Fosse-esque dance precision and perfect confidence despite only having joined the cast a week before opening. Carla is a star and I need to see her in Chicago, stat!
Massive kudos goes to director Adam Mercer and producer Kendra Ward, who balanced originality and nostalgia to deliver a very crisp adaptation of this beloved classic. Their modern vision was well-conserved and reflected beautifully in original costumes by Heather Tiernan. Some of my favorite costume pieces included the Usherette’s gorgeous pink ensemble (like she stepped out of a Moulin Rouge-inspired Sabrina Carpenter video) and Janet’s hilariously cute and modest bloomers (which only gorgeous Lila could pull off!).
I’m not quite sure how one goes about envisioning, rehearsing, and perfecting a show like this, which is so unlike other musicals, and making it seem so effortless and fun. I imagine it truly takes countless hours of love and labour- all of which seemed to more than pay off in the final product. Brava to Adam, Kendra, Heather and the entire creative and technical teams.
I had such a pleasure (more, more, more!!) getting to experience this show with this cast on this stage, surrounded by an audience of the most supportive freaks imaginable. I am excited to continue writing about the performing arts in St Andrews, beginning with MusT’s Footloose, this Monday (9 November) through Wednesday (11 November) at the Byre Theatre, followed by Mermaids’ The Seagull, next Monday (16 November) and Tuesday (17 November) at the StAge in the Union.
Stay dramatic, and see you next week!