THE BEGINNINGS
RHUS, The Unconventional Show is a tribute to The Rocky Horror Show.
The Rocky Horror Show is a musical with music, lyrics and book by Richard O'Brien.
This experimental theatre work premiered at the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs in London on 19 June 1973 to great acclaim from both the critics and the public. Two years later the musical was brought to the big screen by Richard O’Brien and Jim Sharman in a film adaptation that has gone down in history as the longest-running movie of all time, turning Rocky Horror into a true cult phenomenon.
Today, almost fifty years after its premiere, that play that opened at a 63-seat space to what seemed a marginal audience has become the quintessential cult musical, with multiple productions all over the world.
It was the year 2011 when an English-language theatre company based in Madrid decided to stage a reduced version of the musical to be performed by its students. The quirkiness of Rocky Horror made a deep impression on them. Despite not knowing anything about this alternative musical, Ricky Zab, one of the students, fell completely in love with the story, the music, the characters and, especially, the play’s transgressive nature and liberating message.
Three years later, in 2014, after a few more performances with other classmates, Ricky had the feeling that the project could go a long way and decided to embark on the challenging task of directing a new adaptation but this time with his own vision. Preserving the original spirit of the story to the utmost, the new stage version incorporated more elements of the film and included musical numbers that had been removed in previous versions.
To make this new approach a reality, Ricky recruited a group of amateur actors who had a lot of potential and adapted the screenplay so that it could be performed at small theatres. He created new choreographies, designed a tech script full of sound effects and vibrant lighting, and staged the play. With no prior directing experience but plenty of enthusiasm and hard work, Ricky Zab managed to get an ambitious project off the ground and make it the show that it is today: RHUS (Rocky Horror Unconventional Show).
Particularly remarkable is the fact that this is a non-profit project in which substantial time and effort has been invested. It is worth mentioning the passion and drive displayed by the current cast, who work selflessly to bring out the best in themselves.
One thing’s for sure: the result will surprise you!