Rocky Horror in Queens Park, Glasgow.

I would like, if I may, to take you on a strange journey.

Every summer the glorious Queens Park in the southside of Glasgow plays host to many open air events. The arena welcomes live music, comedy and sport, as well as Graffiti Workshops and more. For the month of July it also transforms into an open air cinema, showcasing a wide variety of films for all ages.

This day was dubbed ‘Singalong Sunday’, meaning a double feature of films for the musically inclined and in the case of The Rocky Horror picture show, musically reclined. As a fan of the film who’s seen the stage version a few times, I was well aware that this was to be no ordinary screening.

People queued up on this sunny night in gender-defying outfits; leather, lace and… denim, not everyone dresses up. This is part of the fun. It’s not just an audience that comes together, but a community. Indeed, in the years after the film's release, in the midst of its original cult status, it was seen as a place to meet like-minded people.

The first time I was ever told about Rocky Horror as a kid, I was told about these men that would work and live their life as “normal”, then, once a year or so, go full stocking and heels for Rocky Horror. Indeed, it was normalised to me in this way and was seen as ‘acceptable’ among the heteronormative crowd.  Looking back, I now understand this as the working class Scottish allowable expression of queerness that it is.

The unashamed queerness of Rocky Horror is part of the reason for its success, but it did have a rocky start. After its original release in 1975, it was pulled from some cinemas due to low turnout but found a home in double bills at college campuses and grew a dedicated and enthusiastic fan base that still flock to it today. 

It technically holds the record for the longest continually running movie release of all time, as a quirk of its release is that it can be requested by cinemas anytime. It’s likely always showing somewhere. Once in Vienna, I happened upon a poster for a Christmastime showing of the film.

This was a fabulous screening. The enduring appeal of Brad and Janet’s journey into Frank-N-Furter’s castle on that rainy night is only enhanced by experiencing it with fans who love it, and Queens Park Arena delivered. Fans shouted out (at the right time), drawing laughter from the crowd. Some people learned the repetitive calls and joined in later in the screening. Musical numbers were met with applause, singing along and dancing. 

As the sun set, the organisers hosted a Time Warp-off between teams with a reward of ten drink vouchers to be drunk that night - a valuable prize indeed. During the interval, this potentially naff competition was warmly welcomed by the crowd who bought into it early on. I found myself invested in the outcome, not that I was dancing.

It was nice to see, after all these years and adaptations, that there are some evergreen truths about attending a showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. People are still mesmerised by Tim Curry’s truly sensational performance and the attending community is open, welcoming and fabulous. 

Tickets are free with a small booking fee, making this an affordable activity for all who want to not just dream it, but be it.