Still Doing The Time Warp: Patricia Quinn Reflects on Five Decades of 'Rocky Horror'
Photo Credit: Fox
More than 50 years after Patricia Quinn first stepped into the role of Magenta, The Rocky Horror Picture Show remains a cultural phenomenon unlike any other. What began as a tiny London stage production grew into a celebration of individuality, self-expression, and acceptance that continues to inspire generations of fans. I spoke with Quinn about creating Magenta, working with Tim Curry and Richard O'Brien, Rocky Horror's special connection with the LGBTQ+ community, and why its fans' extraordinary devotion still amazes her today.
PQ: At my audition, Richard O'Brien sang "Science Fiction/Double Feature" to me and asked if I could sing along with him. He showed me the lyrics and played guitar for me. They were auditioning me to see if I could sing or do anything at all. When I heard that song, I immediately knew it was brilliant. I can't explain why or how. I was just so struck by it.
Nothing else particularly attracted me to the role. At that point, the Usherette sang the song, and that was what captured me. They told me they wanted me for the production and that I would get the script. I hadn't read it yet, and in fact it wasn't even complete.
There was also a character named Magenta who had only four or five lines. I wasn't drawn to that role at all. There was hardly a part there. What attracted me was the opportunity to sing that song and to open the show. That's what excited me.
EDGE: Magenta is a unique and unconventional character. How did you approach playing a character in a story that challenged traditional norms?
PQ: I think this was something people had never seen before. Also, at the time, I wasn't really aware that I was challenging anything. That all came later. At the time, it just seemed normal to me. When we were rehearsing for the play, we were simply doing great songs. I never thought much about it. It all felt perfectly natural.
This was the King's Road in London in the 1970s. Everything seemed normal there. It was just part of the environment we were living in.
EDGE: Did you have any idea at the time that the production would become a global phenomenon?
PQ: No, of course not. How could we have known?
When we began, we were in the 60-seat theatre upstairs at the Royal Court. It was literally a little room with 60 wooden chairs, no stage, no set, nothing. There was just a ramp for Tim Curry to come down and a couple of pieces of scaffolding at the sides for us to climb on and hang around. That was it. There was no money at all. We were earning £18 a week. But we did it because we thought it was brilliant. The songs were brilliant.
In fact, we were still writing many of the songs as we went along. The show wasn't completely finished when we started. "Time Warp" arrived almost overnight. "Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me" arrived overnight too. Julie Covington, who was playing Janet, said, "I'm not singing that. That's disgusting."
It all seemed to evolve organically.
Then, within a week of opening at the Royal Court, Mick Jagger and Bianca Jagger were queuing to get into the tiny room upstairs. I walked past them in the queue, pretending not to notice. Then I got upstairs and said, "Jagger's out there. It's extraordinary."
Bowie came during the first week, too.
Word of mouth drove the success, though the critics liked it too. It just grew and grew. It was beyond belief.
EDGE: Looking back, what do you remember most vividly about those early days of Rocky Horror?
PQ: Well, I was only in the stage production for five weeks. Then I left to play Christabel Pankhurst in Shoulder to Shoulder, the BBC series about the fight for women's suffrage. I was involved in a major television production, so for me Rocky Horror was just a five-week gig.
I'd done it, and I was quite happy to move on. But the show carried on without me. In fact, it never really stopped. It just kept moving from one venue to another.
We started by turning cinemas into theatres. From the Royal Court, we moved to the Classic Cinema, which was scheduled for demolition, so it fit the show's look and atmosphere perfectly. Then we moved to the Chelsea Classic Cinema, all along the King's Road.
There was never any money behind it. The producers simply didn't have the funds to stage it in conventional theatres, so they used whatever spaces were available.
Around that time, Lou Adler was dating Britt Ekland, and she told him, "You have to come and see this little musical." So he came to see it. He was the one who took Tim Curry to Los Angeles, just Tim and nobody else. From there, things really took off.
Then, two years later, they decided to make the film.
EDGE: What was it like working with Tim Curry, Richard O'Brien, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, and the rest of the cast?
PQ: As far as I was concerned, we were all just actors working together. Richard O'Brien became a lifelong friend of mine. There was a real sense of equality among us. We were all in it together.
When the film was being made, 20th Century Fox wanted some American actors involved because no major stars were attached to the project. The film was made on an incredibly small budget.
Mick Jagger wanted to be in it. David Bowie wanted to be in it. A lot of people were interested. But director Jim Sharman said, "No. I won't do it unless I have my cast from the Royal Court." He was determined to stay loyal to the people who had created the show on stage.
Because of that commitment, there wasn't much of a budget. We made the film on a shoestring. But Jim's insistence on keeping the original cast helped preserve the spirit of the production.
EDGE: When did you first realize the show had become such an important part of queer culture?
PQ: I can't really say when I first realized it, but I am glad it has become a big part of queer culture. The film celebrates individuality, self-expression, sexual freedom, and fluid gender identities. Most importantly, it offers a space where everyone is welcome.
Over the years, though, I've certainly become aware of its impact. 20th Century Fox sent me on a tour of Australia to promote the DVD, which was great fun. I've also done countless Comic-Cons.
What I find extraordinary is the range of people the film has reached. At these events, I've seen a grandmother, her daughter, and her granddaughter all dressed as Magenta. Three generations of the same family, all connected through Rocky Horror.
To me, that's incredible. It's extraordinary to see how the show has been passed down from one generation to the next.
EDGE: Over the last five decades, The Rocky Horror Picture Show has inspired countless people to embrace who they are. When you meet LGBTQ+ fans who tell you the film changed their lives, what goes through your mind?
PQ: Peaches Christ is a great friend of mine. Peaches is a drag performer from San Francisco who, for many years, hosted and produced events celebrating Rocky Horror. He invited me to San Francisco for a special Rocky Horror evening in which drag performers played all the characters and performed the songs in concert.
I went along, and it was wonderful. Over the years, Barry Bostwick, Nell Campbell, and I have all appeared on stage with Peaches and been interviewed by him.
I remember Peaches telling me that he first saw Rocky Horror when he was 15 and that it changed his life. Those were his words. He said it helped him embrace who he was, and I think that's beautiful.
It's been incredibly meaningful for so many people, particularly within the LGBTQ+ community. But I also like to point out that the film's appeal is much broader than that. Rocky Horror has always attracted people from all walks of life. Its message of acceptance, individuality, and having the courage to be yourself resonates with everyone, regardless of who they are.
EDGE: After all these years, what still excites you about attending a Rocky Horror tour?
PQ: When Scott Stander invited me on my first tour, he said, "You'll be doing 15 states across America." I looked at the schedule and asked, "How long is the car journey from one state to the next?"
He laughed and said, "Car? Plane, Pat. This is America."
I had no idea what I was getting myself into. One day on a plane, one day in a theatre, then back on a plane again. I remember thinking, This is grueling. It's going to kill me. I can't do this. It's far too exhausting.
But then I arrived at the theatres and saw they were sold out.
The show was simply called An Evening with Patricia Quinn or Q&A with Patricia Quinn, and there were 3,000 or sometimes even 4,000 people there. I'd imagined we'd be appearing in small Rocky Horror cinemas, but instead we were performing in major theatres in places like Chicago and Detroit, and cities all across the country.
What keeps me going is the affection from the fans. It's extraordinary. When I walk on stage, people don't just applaud. The entire audience stands up and screams. It's completely overwhelming. I still find it hard to believe.
The sheer scale of it all was beyond anything I ever imagined.
I remember Scott mentioning all these states, and I jokingly said, "Well, if you keep doing these tours, we'll soon run out of them."
He replied, "No, Pat. Within each state, there are countless cities."
That was another revelation. America's size still astonishes me. The number of flights I've taken, the distances between places, the sheer vastness of the country... It's beyond belief.
Even now, I'm still overwhelmed. It's absolutely extraordinary.
Don't dream it, be it! Get your tickets to The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Original Cast Spooktacular and join the ultimate celebration of cult cinema. For more information, visit www.scottstander.com
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