Richard O'Brien: Rose tinted world

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Rocky Horror inventor Richard O'Brien invites Shannon Denny into his laboratory


It's been 36 years since audiences first became caught in a time warp that sees us inexplicably jumping to the left and stepping to the right when a few well-known chords make their way to our ears. If the appearance of the words "rocky" and "horror" close together in a sentence has you instinctively reaching for a water pistol, corset and fishnets, then you've got Richard O'Brien to thank.
Born in England but raised in New Zealand, O'Brien wrote the unwieldy, fun and irrepressible phenomenon that is The Rocky Horror Show in 1973, and went on to play Riff Raff when the story evolved into the 1975 film version, The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Both stage play and movie have a hugely dedicated cult of followers that extends to every corner of the world, and a national new tour of the musical kicks off at the New Wimbledon Theatre this month.

The unforgettable characters of Frank N. Furter, Magenta and Rocky may have thrust themselves upon stages from Iceland to Peru over the decades, but the production in fact got its start a relatively short drive from Wimbledon, at the Royal Court Theatre in Sloane Square. "London at that particular time was important," O'Brien says. "There was an energy in the town which was new and compulsive."

When O'Brien arrived in England in the 1960s, his antipodean upbringing meant he could ride horses, so appearances as a stunt rider in Carry On Cowboy and Casino Royale were among his early acting jobs. Stage roles followed, and it was while he was working with Australian director Jim Sharman on a Sam Shepard play at the Royal Court that Richard's creation Rocky Horror came alive.
The show tells the story of engaged sweethearts Brad and Janet who are forced to seek refuge in a castle filled with an outrageous group of all-singing, all-dancing science-and-sex-mad characters. Timeless classics like Sweet Transvestite, Dammit Janet and The Time Warp keep the off-the-wall narrative charging along at full-tilt, evidence of O'Brien's unrivalled knack for a riff and a lyric.
"I've always loved singing," he affirms. "It just comes second nature to me. I sing around the house all the time. I rarely put the radio or music on. If I'm watching television and the ads come on, as soon as they're muted I pick up a guitar and strum away, make a bit of noise and sing. It's just part of everyday life."

In addition to his addictive songs and on-screen rendition of Riff Raff, he's also well known as presenter of The Crystal Maze on TV in the 1990s and conceptualising and appearing as the Child Catcher in the West End production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

"Make believe is where my heart lies really," he explains. "I love the childish nature of it all - the dressing up and pretending to be someone else and taking people on a little journey. You know, that's wonderful, and it's why I particularly like performing for children. I love to think the curtain goes up and something magical happens and they get transported into another world. Their rapt attention and their sense of awe is wonderful."

This autumn he'll help transport audiences - though possibly not children - into yet another world when he appears on stage in The Stripper, the jazzy pulp fiction detective musical he wrote about the seedy world of strip joints and dodgy dating agencies. It has "the same kind of ribald, puerile humour that permeates its way through Rocky," he confesses. "It's childish and fun and naughty, and I hope very entertaining."

The story is based on a novel by Carter Brown - whose hugely successful career saw him write more than 150 crime stories selling in excess of 70 million copies - and features all of the classic archetypes from the world of the dime novel, from strippers to cops to sexy secretaries.
Following the tours of the two productions, O'Brien's contemplating going on the road with an autobiographical show. "I wouldn't mind getting on with a guitar and a microphone and talking about myself and singing songs. Because those are the two things I really like most - talking about myself and singing songs! It doesn't get much better."

In spite of his constant stream of new projects, he's nowhere near growing tired of Rocky Horror. "I'm grateful for everything it's brought my way," he says humbly. "I've never gone, 'Oh no, I've got to go see it again.' I enjoy it very much. If it's done well and the director's got it right, the designer's got it right, the audience is laughing, the sound is good and the band's cooking - I'm happy." And so are audiences everywhere, which is why, as our conversation draws to a close, I find myself unable to resist the tiniest little jump to the left, followed by a very small step to the right.

Richard O'Brien's Rocky Horror Show is on from 17 September at the New Wimbledon Theatre; 0844 871 7646; www.rockyhorror.co.uk

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