The Rocky Horror Show – Is it just a show?

Above the door of the Central Theatre hangs a sign, "Closed" it says. Nevertheless, there are a myriad of people on the sidewalk outside, in the entrance and in the theatre hall. The theatre is in full swing, because tonight is the premiere of the musical The Rocky Horror Show. The sign is rather proof of how accomplished this performance will soon turn out to be, from the decorations to the use of space, the music and the atmosphere. And perhaps a small jab at Oslo's city council, which has cut the theatre's support.

Around me, people are dressed in party hats, glitter corsets and fishnet stockings. The musical we are about to see has been filmed and staged time and again since its premiere in London in the 70s. The Rocky Horror Show is known as a celebration of diversity and being different. In a world where homophobia and transphobia are constantly growing, perhaps this performance is exactly what we need to put acceptance and respect on the agenda.

At Centralteatret, the air is filled with excitement, the audience is ready to party, and it really is going to be a party! After the performance, I am left with a feeling of community and togetherness – but not the afterthought that can change attitudes.

Stray newlyweds

The theatre hall at Centralteateret is small and intimate, but traditionally designed with a balcony and gold details on the walls. The first rows of seats have been removed to make room for a new stage platform at audience level. Some of the audience are positioned around the platform like in a horseshoe.

The show begins when the band hits the strings and fills the room with music. The song "Science Fiction" introduces the show and welcomes the audience to the theater that evening. The action begins with a bang when the main characters Brad and Janet get engaged to the song "Damnit Janet". That same evening, the couple decides to leave for their friend Dr. Scott, who introduced them to each other, but the car stops in the middle of the forest and they have to find a place where they can borrow a phone. This is how Brad and Janet find their way to an old castle where they knock on the door and are let into an extremely crazy world.

It is inside the castle that the show begins, and it is here that the rest of the action of the show unfolds. Brad and Janet are drawn into a frantic dance to the song "Time Warp", which the audience is also invited to join in. It all becomes a taste of all the festive show has to offer, as the entire audience jumps and dances and laughs along with the actors to catchy rock music.

As the evening progresses, the shocked couple meets the characters Riff-Raff, Magenta and Colombia, all of whom obey their master, Frank n Furter. They are not allowed to borrow any phones, but in return they each have their own sexual awakening in what turns out to be some kind of extraterrestrial sex cult full of song, music and fun.

The Rocky Horror Show is a traditional performance where the audience plays an important role. Not only in the iconic communal dance, there are several times when the audience interacts with the action on their own initiative. For example, we consistently shout “asshole” and “slut” after Brad and Janet, and we bow to a poor police officer who is monitoring the evening’s events. In the scene after the car stop, it starts to rain, and in the theater hall, water droplets really fall on the audience. Some hide under newspapers, while others shoot water jets at their sidekicks with small water guns. The expanded stage space also helps to include the audience in the performance. The actors run across the balcony and through the rows of seats, they talk to the audience and keep their characters alive throughout the first act, the second act and during the intermission. The theater is lowered from the pre-elevated stage edge, down to the people who have come to party with Riff-Raff, Magenta, Frank n Furter and the rest of the gang.

A musical chaos

The performance is able to create theatrical magic in collaboration with the audience. The actors do a fantastic job, both in the interaction between themselves and with the audience. The audience enjoys themselves and is allowed to take a seat in the show. It is not often that you experience this freedom in the theater. It almost feels as if everything is allowed this evening, and perhaps it is. On stage, the strangest things happen, but the audience laughs along and devours the crazy chaos of director Heiki Riipinen. The actors master the musical genre both in singing and acting. Gunnar Eriksson and Henriette Faye Schjøll in particular appear on stage with their extremely typical characters, Riff Raff and Janet. The spotless Janet's raspy scream is a counterpoint to the cunning, sneaky Riff-Raff. The two characters symbolize two worlds that collide.

The musical The Rocky Horror Show is in many ways a chaos musical. A celebration of chaos and being allowed to be a little chaotic, both inside and out. At the same time, this causes a lot of the plot to slip a little for me, and I think several of the audience members who don't know the plot will have to work extra hard to find a common thread.

Throughout the second act, the show moves in and out of layers, genres, and narratives. Clips from the film adaptation of the musical are shown on the big screen as the actors lip-sync, the outside police officer acts as narrator while she joins in the dances, and Frank n Furter kills a frozen rock star. The audience may be having a great time, but at the same time the show gradually loses touch with the ground. It is truly a celebration, but by the end I have lost the concept of what party I am invited to.

The second act reaches its climax in a kind of drag version of Teletubbies. This is not taken from the musical, but an invention made by the director. From this point on, it seems as if the previously established reality has evaporated, and the whole show has become entangled in a crazy psychosis. I later learn that Tinky Winky, one of the Teletubbies, is a queer icon. I think this reference went over the heads of many in the audience. The party was supposed to celebrate the queer and those who feel different, but this aspect unfortunately drowns a bit in a hodgepodge of narrow references and messy devices.

Unclear message and unused potential

In September 2024, it was decided that the Oslo municipality would cut around 40 million kroner in support for Oslo Nye Teater. The theater's supporters protested and highlighted the importance of the cultural institution Oslo Nye is. The theater is a workplace, a place to highlight valuable culture, but also an important democratic tool. Theater is a mouthpiece for the people, a platform to reflect reality and its shortcomings. 

The world outside the theater is getting scarier and scarier. In step with the extreme right, hatred for being different is growing. This can be based on skin color, religion, gender identity or sexual orientation. That is precisely why it is right for Oslo Nye to bring The Rocky Horror Show back to the stage. 

Theatre is an art form that has the power to make a huge impact on people, something every director should know and exploit. The Rocky Horror Show is about people who would face hatred and prejudice if they set foot outside the theatre, simply because they are themselves. This is a social problem that has been relevant for a long time. The musical is designed to create tolerance and make room for everyone who doesn't quite fit in. Creating change requires both awareness and action, but unfortunately the audience is not encouraged to do this. 

What I think the audience will remember from this evening is a huge party, but not much more than that. Not a new perspective, a new understanding, or a thought that attitudes should change. I believe in theater as a voice to speak out, and I am disappointed that the show did not use this to a greater extent. This is precisely the great shortcoming of The Rocky Horror Show. The show does not leave the audience with an awareness of celebrating those who are different, it just becomes a party for the sake of the party. 

The Rocky Horror Show has the potential to say something important, to get the audience to take the party out into the streets, into society. This potential is not being exploited well enough. To answer my own question: Yes, it's just a show. Partying and fun are served in expensive dishes, but in the chaos of party hats, sweaty bodies and jelly shots, one important ingredient is forgotten: reflection.