The Rocky Horror Picture Show Original Cast Spooktacular Tour – Dominion Theatre and Touring

Nell Campbell, Barry Bostwick and Patricia Quinn

The Rocky Horror Picture Show Original Cast Spooktacular Tour was reviewed at the Dominion Theatre, London. The tour continues until 7 May 2026.

Star rating: two stars ★ ★ ✩ ✩ ✩

The Rocky Horror Picture Show is undoubtedly a cult classic experience like no other. The film brings a real sense of community with chanted responses to lines built up over 50 years, audiences dressed up to the hilt in costumes and fans knowing every line and lyric in the film.

Rocky Horror is a musical horror comedy that became the longest-running theatrical release in film history, transforming film musicals into cult classics. Having been released in 1975, it was revolutionary in pushing boundaries of sexuality, gender and rebellion against social expectations, and still remains a queer cultural movement today. Now in celebration of the film’s 50th anniversary, some of the original cast are hosting screenings around the UK.

Ultimately this was a 50th anniversary tour performance run (almost entirely) for the fans, by the fans, hosted by Larry Vizel (president of the Rocky Horror Picture Show fan club) and the performance was acted out entirely by fans on stage as a ‘shadow cast’.

While I am sure this was fun for those on stage, it felt rather jarring and disappointing for the audience watching as the two elements were consistently out of sync. This was nothing like what might be expected of a blended film and theatre experience such as the highly successful Secret Cinema Grease experience in Battersea last year. Unfortunately, I felt the shadow cast took away from the experience rather than added to it.

It was difficult to catch the dialogue and follow the story, with the traditional chants not connecting with what was happening on-screen. The random, persistent heckling didn’t help either.

In fact, the screening would have really benefited from captions to encourage more audience interaction. Similarly, a fun addition could have included a singalong with the iconic songs and prompts for when the props in our goodie bags were needed, what callbacks to shout etc., so that the uninitiated could be more involved.

Fundamentally the experience was one of total chaos: props were thrown haphazardly, at random, all over the place; sporadic heckling (not in line with the rehearsed responses) distracted from the story; and there was even a (pretty hilarious) boob flash from Nell Campbell during her brief appearance in the ‘Time Warp’. I would advise anyone who suffers from sensory overload to avoid this intense experience, as the noise was completely overwhelming.

It could be argued that this might not be an event meant for first-time viewers. I was among a large handful of ‘Time Warp Virgins’ and the space didn’t feel welcoming to anyone new. In fact, there were even times when newbies were made to stand up in the crowd and be ridiculed.

Bringing back original cast members Barry Bostwick (Brad), Campbell (Columbia), Patricia Quinn (Magenta) and Peter Hinwood (Rocky) for a Q&A was a really special element for fans. It would have been amazing if they had really utilised these legendary performers, that the audiences knew and loved, to elevate this special 50th anniversary with a live performance or two or more audience interaction, as their very brief 30-minute appearance was a highlight.

Sadly, this experience was more of a unpolished fan event than a ‘spectacular’ West End celebration, but the die-hard fans thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Marina Holmes