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Posts Tagged ‘rocky horror’

  1. Top 10 musicals: Rocky Horror

    September 23, 2014 by Amy Hansford

    You’ve got to love a fad, and Facebook (there’s that name again!) is full of them. Last month it was a charitable homage to the Bucket Of Water Song, this month it’s all about posting your top 10 musicals. Here’s my list, in no order whatsoever.  I’ll be posting the reasons why over the next fortnight.

    The Rocky Horror Picture Show
    Hedwig and the Angry Inch
    Little Shop of Horrors
    Gypsy
    Bugsy Malone
    Hairspray
    Spamalot
    Wicked
    The Producers
    Anything Goes

    The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

    I was eight when I pulled a sickie and Mum had to take me shopping. I was allowed to choose a VHS to entertain me for the day. I chose this – the red lips on the black background jumped out at me. My mum happily bought me the 15 certificate film (fair play Mum) and I watched a funny film where lots of people danced, chased each other, a pretty sparkly girl tap danced and everyone fell into a pool at the end. Fast forward a decade and you’d find me at uni with a twisted ankle, running through my old VHS tapes and watching this for only the second time or so. And seeing so much more. This led to attending a theme night at a local pub, then onto travelling to London every Friday night to catch Charming Underclothes perform a shadowcast to it at the Prince Charles Cinema. I found an outlet for my mischiefness. Costumes, callbacks and company. I learned every movement, every nuance, every soundbite. I learned to sew. I founded my own shadowcast, Less Vulnerable. I performed in England, Scotland, NI, NYC, conventions, screenings, charity events. I even went to Richard O’Brien’s birthday party.

    (c) Nikki Cross

    Less Vulnerable as we were in 2004

    And then it and everything I’d known collapsed underneath me. I walked away. It’s only in recent years that I’ve been able to go back and watch it and enjoy it. I still want to be Columbia. I still want to shadowcast, I’m just too sleepy for midnight shows now I’m older. But there’s still a little sparkle in me.

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  2. To dress or not to dress

    February 20, 2010 by Amy Hansford

    I’ve had a number of people* asking me about Rocky Horror lately, all of whom have pretty much started their query with ‘But you have to dress up though, don’t you?’.

    The short answer is ‘no, but you may get into it more if you do’.

    The long answer is this:
    The average audience for Rocky Horror (costume wise) is about 50/50. Of those dressed up, they go across the whole spectrum – die hards in show accurate costumes, gangs in basques and boas, to civvies with lippie. That’s all for the lads and the ladies.

    Speaking of which, chaps, you don’t have to wear make up. I know! Revelationary. There’s Brad, the Narrator and Eddie to choose from. Girls, you don’t have to walk around in a thong! There’s Janet’s lovely pink dress, a Phantom and Columbia to choose from.

    If you want to be a member of the plain clothes force, that’s okay too! You might want to bring something in a bag – sunglasses, a paper hat and a lipstick – in the case you find yourself the only one not dressed up and therefore feeling a bit left out. But I’ve seen the show a number of times in my normal gear. It’s really okay.

    Admittedly, I now have my heart set on creating a stage accurate Phantom costume for April, but until then I’m happy watching it in a corset and jeans for a bit. No need to get my bottom out unnecessarily, but great if everyone else wants to!

    *4 actually
    Lots of piccies in here care of the lovely Timewarp, the official Rocky Horror fan club

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  3. Just a jump to the left

    February 17, 2010 by Amy Hansford

    After work yesterday I drove up to Leicester to meet with friends who were watching The Rocky Horror Show. I admit, I was anticipating to be a little bored by the show having seen it so many times. But once it got going, I remembered how beautifully it’s been restaged. The finale is so moving, the message now true having beaten the hen-night-mentality brought on by previous tours. And it may be the techie in me coming out, but the lighting in the last reprise especially was gorgeous.

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  4. October update

    October 18, 2009 by Amy Hansford

    It’s that time again where I realise I’ve not blogged for a month. My bad! So, what’s been going on in my life?

    I’ve been to see a fair few shows: Communicating Doors by Dunstable Rep to see my friend JJ playing a serial killer, The Stripper tto find it was lovely to see Richard O’Brien in something that wasn’t corsetted or gameshow related, and Rocky Horror at Milton Keynes, complete with a backstage tour. I got to see and play with all the props and costumes which was brilliant.

    After her death last summer, I finally put Mum’s house on the market. If anyone’s looking for a gorgeous one bedroom bungalow in Hillingdon in a nice area, do let me know.

    I started rehearsals for Jack and the Beanstalk with the Griffin Players in Luton. I’ve gone from a bratty younger sister to a dumb blonde – I’m very happy with that, although wearing lip gloss will be new for me. I’m pleased as I get a big hand in the comedy scenes. As for the slapstick ones, I think I’ve avoided being on the wrong end of a pie but not sure I’ll make it through the show’s run without ending up bumped and bruised. Another test of my abilities!

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  5. Frank’s Green Gown

    August 20, 2009 by Amy Hansford

    The fabulous Phil Dunk over at the Timewarp forums has discovered this superb Frank surgeon gown. Notoriously difficult to find, this little beauty is pretty much perfect. Phil suggests that you may wish to snip off the elasticated wrists. Aside from that, this is an incredibly important find, given the difficulty people have had tracking them down. And at just over a tenner each, it’s worth getting a couple! Well done Phil!

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  6. Janet Weiss at half the price

    August 4, 2009 by Amy Hansford

    Since publishing pictures of our lovely Janet Weiss pink dress on AIBM (from the Rocky Horror Picture Show), we’ve had a couple of enquiries regarding budget versions. While that’s not something we can do with this costume, I can instead share my top tip for instant Janets.

    The Jackie O costume is a godsend – pretty good on colour and shape and with a high neck – golddust! All it takes is a gingham collar and belt, white buttons and a bit of white trim, and it’ll look perfect with a white cardigan over the top. Who wants bulky arms under a cardi anyway?
    Always available on Ebay for cheaper than the stores (watch our for p&p), this is a great solution. You should be able to do the entire outfit for ?30.

    I may not maintain the Student’s Guide to Rocky Horror Costumes anymore, but I still keep my eye out for bargains!

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  7. The Dream

    October 12, 2008 by Amy Hansford

    For the first time in about two years, I had ‘the dream’ last night. The dream is something I believe is common to all those who shadow cast Rocky Horror, but is seldom spoken of. This morning I am breaking the silence!

    The main thread of the dream is that you’re being called upon to do a shadowcast for Rocky somewhere. Such is the nature of shadowcasting (for those who don’t know, everyone can pretty much play anything so parts are very interchangeable) that in this case you don’t know who you’re going to be, so you bring every costume and make up piece with you. You finally get to the event and you can’t find the person leading the shadowcast. You search everywhere but nothing. Then finally, once the show’s begun, you get a tip off – you’re playing Magenta!

    But holy crap, where’s your Magenta stuff? Make up, check, boots, check, but that’s it! And they’re already on to Dammmit Janet! Time slows down at this point, bizarrely giving you enough time to go to the shops. Why they’re open at the same time as a shadowcasting (normally around 10pm-2am) I have no idea, but you scrape together a black dress from somewhere. As a Rocky performer you then castrate yourself by not having an accurate costume, for goodness sake not having a wig, and manage somehow to get through the show, generally hating yourself for what you’re (not) wearing. I tell a lie – normally you get to your first scene in the film LATE (in my case they were at the Creation scene) and halfways into your almost-costume, receiving a round of tuts for your trouble.

    And then on to the next dream.

    And people wonder why I ask what part I’m playing so far in advance!

    Remember kids, Rocky Horror at the Grosvenor Cinema, Glasgow, Friday 7th and Saturday 8th November. See you there, hopefully on time and hopefully in costume!

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