The film Rocky Horror Picture Show is not only a staple of the Halloween season, but it is a certifiable cult classic.
The movie, directed by Jim Sharman, was originally released in 1975 and has since taken on a life of its own.
In Victoria, one local drag queen, Shelita Cox, has made it her mission to expose as many people as possible to Rocky Horror Picture Show by teaming up with some of the city’s best drag performers and putting on an all-drag cast production.
This will be the third year Cox has put on an all-drag cast production of the iconic film and she says, it will be bigger and better than ever in this year’s rendition.
According to Cox, this film is especially significant because of what it means to the queer, trans and drag communities.
“People often experience Rocky Horror for their first time in their adolescence, and it’s the first time a lot of people have access to see queer identities and a true form of self expression, like an unapologetic ‘this is who I am,’” Cox told Victoria Buzz.
“It’s been a really big piece for a lot of people in the queer community, the trans community and the drag community of being able to lean into what makes you, you and being unapologetic about yourself.”
Cox’s production of the cult classic is unlike any other because of the unique way the drag performers’ approach the performance.
Typically, people will experience Rocky Horror Picture Show in one of three ways; watching the film itself, a live musical theatrical production where actors sing the songs and act out the characters or a shadow cast production in which the film is played behind the actors and they lip sync all the parts.
“We do it very uniquely,” said Cox. “We’re doing kind of a mix of a shadow cast and a live theatre version.”
This production will not have the film playing in the background, but most of the film’s audio will be played, which the drag queens will expertly lip sync to. Additionally, there will be some interactive elements and a live narrator/criminologist.
The cast features some of Victoria’s absolute best queens:
- Dr Frank N Furter: Shelita Cox
- Rocky: Fairy Manalow
- Brad Majors: Persi Flage
- Janet Weiss: Electra Socket
- Magenta: Henrietta Dubet
- Riff Raff: Eddi Licious
- Eddi: Sir Ryan Real
- Columbia: Ghost Of Judithdr.
- Everret Scott: Fierce Brosnan
- Transylvanians: Ukee Lulu, Aria Okay, Ket Bush, Jackbox Jayne
- The Criminologist: J Bird Mclaughlin
In 2023, the show was put on at the Roxy Theatre, and all five performances were sell-outs.
This year, Cox and the rest of the cast will be doing five performances of Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Metro Studio Theatre in downtown Victoria, located at 1411 Quadra Street.
The shows have already sold around half their seats and are expected to sell out this year as well.
Those who have seen Rocky Horror Picture Show before, in theatres or as a live production will know that throughout the show, there are several prompts for audience participation.
For these prompts, Cox has put together a prop bag which will be for sale online and at the performances and even features a custom deck of cards with the performers on the cards.
Due to theatre rules and regulations, no outside props will be permitted to be used during the show. So if audience members want to participate, they have to purchase a prop bag from the cast.
These performances are all for adults over 19-years-old only.
Cox says that although putting on the five Rocky Horror Picture Show productions is a lot of work, it is completely worth it and feels unlike any other show.
“In the burlesque community and the drag community, there’s this term that’s called a ‘glitter rush’ which is the sensation after doing a really good show and you’re just kind of riding this euphoric high,” Cox explained. “It usually lasts a day or so.”
“Usually after the high glitter rush, you have what’s called a glitter crash—when you’ve spent all your energy and you need to crawl back into your cave and be by yourself.”
She noted that after last year’s five sold out performances, the queens all expected to experience a glitter crash but it just never came, making this endeavour feel all the more special, unique and important.
All-drag cast performance of Rocky Horror Picture Show
- Where: Metro Studio Theatre, 1411 Quadra Street
- When: Wednesday, October 23rd to Sunday, October 27th
- Tickets: $50, available online
- Prop Bags: $20, available online
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