Richard O'Brien visits Milton Keynes

MKWeb Reporter Jon Sellers went to interview Richard O'Brien at the MKTheatre .

Richard O'Brien is best know for writing, acting in and composing the music for 'The Rocky Horror Show' and by the younger generation he is fondly remembered as the eccentric host of the 'Crystal Maze'. The Pantomime this year is Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs, as well as being a classic story with a huge budget, (over a million pounds) they have also obtained the rights to use all the Disney songs. So it will be really unmissable!

Richard much like his personality on the 'Crystal Maze' is both charming and quirky keeping me on my toes in the interview. He is playing the part of The Henchman to the Wicked Witch this Christmas in Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs, perhaps a sort of Black Adder and Baldrick duo?

Here's an abbreviated script of my interview with him:


Have you worked with any of the cast before?
"Yeah, I worked with Toyah when Derek Jarman did a movie called Jubilee in 1977"

More recently they worked in a childrens TV production of the ink thief. But up to this point Toyah is the only one he has worked with.


Are you going to improvise a lot in the Pantomime?
"There's always a little room for something, but you have to be very careful about that It can become a bit self indulgent"


Will your being in the show and doing 'The Time Warp' attract many Rocky Horror diehard fans to the show? (The types in fishnets and suspenders)
He didn't know, but he doesn't want The Time Warp to be something that's tacked on."I keep saying to them if it doesnt work in the narrative do you really think we should keep it in. I can do it, and i will do it. I just want to see the narrative work. It seems silly stopping for a song".


The Disney songs are going to be in the production - will you be singing any?
"I'll probably do a little harmony"


New Zealand constructed a statue of you how did it make you feel?
"Ooooh Imagine, one and a half times life size. It's exactly where I used to cut hair and where I used to go see the late night double features. They pulled the building down and right on the spot where I used to cut hair is a statue of me with the most beautiful stockings all in bronze"


What's your favourite out of composing writing and acting?
"They do have different appeals but, writing lyrics is my favourite really"


I asked if he'd written anything for the Pantomime and he remarked
"I've written a little song for her (Toyah), but they have all the stuff from Disney so they won't need it"


What do you think of Milton Keynes so far?
"It's like some kind of utopia, in fact I think you should change the name to utopia"

He did go on to envisage a shining like sci-fi horror film that could take place here in this "utopia", but I feel that the quote is better left on its own


The Older Generation know you for Rocky Horror of course, but the younger generation know you for Crystal Maze do you mind that?
"Not at all, I wanted to do one where I locked everybody in now obviously I've got 35 minutes on my own saying lets go laugh at those people we just locked in"

I kicked my self for not asking why he didn't want to be self indulgent in a Pantomime but wished for it on national TV I guess if you can be self indulgent like in a Pantomime it's boring, but being self indulgent on TV is exciting!


Can you play the Harmonica?
"As badly as you heard it's only 3 notes a blues basically so what the difficulty, well it is!"


Name a reason to go see the Pantomime this year?
"Well, joy go and sit down, the lights go down the sound of the music comes up and the curtain goes It's just wonderful to be taken on a journey"


As a final note he said

"Well I hope, I haven't told anyone else this. It'll be Snow White - The Henchman's Tale All that other stuff, with the princess and then little people. It's all sub text"

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