Overview
Synopsis
One fateful night, Brad Majors and his fiancée, Janet Weiss — a wholesome, well-behaved, utterly normal young couple in love — innocently set out to visit an old professor. Unfortunately for them, this night out is destined to be one they will never forget. A thunderstorm and a flat-tire force them to seek help at the castle of Dr. Frank ’N’ Furter, an alien, transvestite scientist with a manic genius and insatiable libido. Brad, Janet, and Frank’ N’ Furter’s cohorts are swept up into the scientist’s latest experiment. The night’s misadventures will cause Brad and Janet to question everything they’ve known about themselves, each other, love, and lust. A loving homage to the classic B sci-fi film and horror genres with an irresistible rock’n’roll score, The Rocky Horror Show is a hilarious, wild ride that no audience will soon forget.
Show Information
- Book
- Richard O'Brien
- Music
- Richard O'Brien
- Lyrics
- Richard O'Brien
- Category
- Musical
- Age Guidance
- Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 1973
- Genres
- Comedy, Dark Comedy, Satire, Fairy Tale/Fantasy
- Settings
- Contemporary, Multiple Settings, Unit/Single Set
- Time & Place
- the castle of dr. frank 'n' furter, the 1950s
- Cast Size
- medium
- Orchestra Size
- Rock Combo
- Dancing
- Some Dance
- Licensor
- Concord Theatricals
- Ideal For
- College/University, Community Theatre, Diverse Cast, Large Cast, Mature Audiences, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Star Vehicle Female, Star Vehicle Male, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Adult, Young Adult, Mature Adult Characters, Medium Cast
Context
The Rocky Horror Show was born out of creator Richard O’Brien’s love of the science fiction and B horror films of his youth. He set out to combine the unintentionally humorous elements of both genres with aspects of schlock-horror films, muscle flicks, and fifties rock and roll music; thus, like Dr. Frank ’N’ Furter’s monster, The Rocky Horror Show was born.
O’Brien began writing the musical in the early 1970s. At the time, he was living in London and struggling in his acting career. He
to read the context for The Rocky Horror Show and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
Act One
The Usherette, backed by the Phantoms, enter the theatre. They welcome the audience to their derelict cinema and let them know the type of “film” that the audience is in for by paying homage to classic science fiction and B horror movies of the 1940s-70s (“Science Fiction Double Feature”).
Janet Weiss and Brad Majors, two high school sweethearts have just left a wedding of two of their friends. The ceremony has inspired Brad himself to propose, which Janet happily accepts.
to read the plot for The Rocky Horror Show and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor, Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano, Alto |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Either Gender |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone, Bass |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Ensemble |
Either Gender |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone, Bass |
Songs
Act One
- “Science Fiction Double Feature” —Usherette, Phantoms
- “Damn It, Janet!” — Brad, Janet, Phantoms
- “Over at the Frankenstein Place” — Janet, Brad, Riff Raff, Phantoms
- * “The Time Warp” — Riff Raff, Magenta, Columbia, Phantoms
- “Sweet Transvestite” — Frank ’N’ Furter, Brad, Riff Raff, Magenta, Columbia, Phantoms
- “The Sword of Damocles” — Rocky, Narrator, Ensemble
- “I Can Make You a Man” — Frank ’N’ Furter, Ensemble
- “Hot Patootie” — Eddie, Ensemble
- “I Can Make You a Man (cont.)” — Dr. Frank ’N’ Furter, Janet, Ensemble
Act Two
- “Touch-A Touch-A Touch Me” — Janet, Magenta, Columbia
- “Once in a While” — Brad
- “Eddie’s Teddy” — Dr. Scott, Narrator, Columbia, Ensemble
- “Planet Schmanet - Wise Up Janet Weiss” — Frank ’N’ Furter, Narrator, Janet, Magenta, Ensemble
- * “Rose Tint My World (Floor Show)” — Columbia, Rocky, Brad, Janet
- * “Don’t Dream It — Be It” — Frank ’N’ Furter, Columbia, Rocky, Brad, Janet
- * “Wild and Untamed Thing” — Frank ’N’ Furter, Columbia, Rocky, Brad, Janet, Dr. Scott
- “Transit Beam” — Riff Raff
- “I’m Going Home” — Frank ’N’ Furter, Ensemble
- “Super Heroes” — Brad, Janet
- “Science Fiction Double Feature (Reprise)” — The Usherette, Phantoms
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
The art of designing and arranging movement sequences for theatrical dance and physical storytelling.
A passionate, niche audience devoted to a specific play or performance style, often regardless of mainstream popularity.
A genre that combines elements of humor and morbidity, exploring serious themes through satire or irony.
A group of performers who function as a unit in a production rather than as individuals with leading roles.
A form of self-referential drama where the play draws attention to its own theatricality. This device challenges the audience’s suspension of disbelief and is used in Epic Theatre and postmodern works.
A new production of a previously performed play or musical, often reinterpreting its themes or updating its design.
A genre that has influenced musical theatre through shows capturing youth culture, rebellion, and pop music.
A rock musical is a form of musical theatre that incorporates the rhythms, instrumentation, and energy of rock-and-roll into its score. Emerging in the late 1960s with shows like Hair, rock musicals often bring a contemporary, rebellious edge to the stage. They blend theatrical storytelling with the raw power of popular music to attract younger and more diverse audiences.
Satire is a dramatic style that uses humor, irony, and exaggeration to criticize human behavior, social institutions, or political systems. In theatre, it highlights flaws and hypocrisies through wit and parody, encouraging audiences to laugh while also reflecting on serious issues. Satire can range from lighthearted comedy to biting social commentary, making it both entertaining and thought-provoking.
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