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 Post subject: Rayner Bourton Book
PostPosted: Fri Jul 03, 2009 3:09 am 
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Rayner Bourton originated the role of Rocky Horror on stage in London in 1973. Apparently he's recently written a book about the experience. More info about it here:
http://www.timewarp.org.uk/cellar/raynerbourtonbook.htm
http://www.raynerbourton.com/new%20book.html

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Quote:
A Message from Rayner:
“Something for everyone – thrills, chills and spills.”

Hi everyone, I guess you may know that I created the role of ‘Rocky’ in the original and first ever production of THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW at the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs back in June 1973, transferring with it to the Chelsea Classic, recording the Original Cast album in between, before opening with the show on two other continents.

In May 2006 I was invited to participate in the Tribute Show in the main house of The Royal Court to celebrate ‘Rocky’ being voted the most popular show in the fifty-year history of the English Stage Company.

Having appeared in that tribute performance and having attended a few conventions, where there are always many questions on what it was like to be there at the beginning, I thought I would put finger to keyboard and write down my recollections of what it was like to audition for, be cast as, rehearse, perform and enjoy being in the best loved Rock ‘n’ Roll musical of all time.

The out come is my book: Rocky Horror: As I remember it. I think the title tells it all, it is literally as I remember it. It’s not an autobiography; it’s an account of how the original show came to be, from the first day of rehearsal to opening night at The Theatre Upstairs and then at the Chelsea Classic, told from my own personal perspective.

I had a lot of fun recalling and writing down everything that happened, however, if it’s scandal you’re looking for, you won’t find it here, you see back then there wasn’t any, we were just having fun and that’s what the book is all about, the fun we had. We really were just a bunch of unknown actors embarking a fun show for three weeks only. Little did we know we were really embarking on something that would be with us for a lifetime.

I do hope you enjoy reading about my experiences and the interaction with the other members of the cast and all those around us. Whether you like it or not, I can only tell it as it was; “As I remember it.”

Lots of Love

It looks like the book is ordered through his web site only, and is £12.99 plus shipping. Overseas shipping to the U.S. is £7.00, making it a total of £19.99 if you want to order a copy. Here are a couple photos of Rayner on stage in London (pictured with Patricia Quinn, Little Nell, and an almost hidden Richard O'Brien in the second photo):

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A little known fact is that he also had a cameo in Shock Treatment. He's the G.I. in the middle, from the studio audience:

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And actually the row of ladies in front of him includes two Transylvanians from RHPS. A number of people involved with Rocky ended up with audience cameos in Shock Treatment.

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 Post subject: Re: Rayner Bourton Book
PostPosted: Tue Jul 07, 2009 10:53 pm 
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...Where in the world do you get this stuff!!! How do you find it all? That, to me, is absolutley AMAZING!!!


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 Post subject: Re: Rayner Bourton Book
PostPosted: Tue Jul 07, 2009 11:32 pm 
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Many years of an obsessive personality being reinforced by similarly obsessive people on the Internet, of course. :lol: You should go look at my other web site sometime: http://www.RockyMusic.org.

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 Post subject: Re: Rayner Bourton Book
PostPosted: Wed Jul 08, 2009 12:11 pm 
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...I'm almost afraid to do that...no telling what I might find...


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 Post subject: Re: Rayner Bourton Book
PostPosted: Wed Jul 08, 2009 5:37 pm 
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Kitten wrote:
...I'm almost afraid to do that...no telling what I might find...


Three words: Rocky Horror Porn


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 Post subject: Re: Rayner Bourton Book
PostPosted: Wed Jul 08, 2009 5:54 pm 
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And a fourth word: Queefing.

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 Post subject: Re: Rayner Bourton Book
PostPosted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 1:24 pm 
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...HOLY SHIT!!!


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 Post subject: Re: Rayner Bourton Book
PostPosted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 11:40 am 
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http://www.sundaymercury.net/news/midlands-news/2009/07/26/original-rocky-horror-star-my-regrets-over-leaving-show-66331-24239248/

Quote:
Original Rocky Horror star: My regrets over leaving show
Jul 26 2009 by Lorne Jackson, Sunday Mercury

WHEN a bright young actor takes on a new role, he asks himself several key questions.

Will the show be a hit? Is my performance on the money? Could this be the part that turns me into a superstar?

Rayner Bourton didn’t concern himself with such thoughts.

All he worried about was whether the show he had agreed to star in was going to get him arrested.

Such nervousness was understandable.

Rayner, brought up in Selly Park, Birmingham, was playing the title role in a new production called The Rocky Horror Show – one of the most outrageous musicals of all time. Anyone who has witnessed it live, or viewed the spin-off movie, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, will either have been disgusted or titillated.

The original Rocky Horror Show, first produced in 1973, includes transvestism, bisexuality, seedy sex acts, plus Rayner, prettily posing in a tight-fitting pair of gold trunks. A far cry from The Sound Of Music.

He recalls: “I can still remember how I felt when I got the script. The first thing you do as an actor – anybody who tells you they don’t is lying – is scan the pages and see how many lines you’ve got. I only had 12. Then I read it, and thought it was tacky.

“It was being put on by The Royal Court, which I couldn’t believe. There wasn’t much money involved, but this was a very prestigious theatre company, dedicated to new work.”

Rayner adds: “I hadn’t spent much time in London when I got the part. At the time I didn’t think it would kill my career. But I did think: ‘Am I going to get arrested?’

“You’ve got to remember that it was only four years since censorship had been relaxed in the British theatre. So this was still very shocking. It was virtually soft porn.”

Luckily Rayner didn’t end up having to explain himself to the police. Instead, The Rocky Horror Show became a huge hit.

An album was quickly recorded of the cast belting out the songs, and Rayner felt as though he was at the epicentre of a 70s version of Beatlemania.

Now he has written a memoir, The Rocky Horror Show: As I Remember It, which recalls those heady days. Although there have been many books about the show, Rayner’s is the first to be written by an original cast member.

Rather surprisingly, for an actor involved in a huge hit, Rayner refused a long-term contract to remain in the show.

His great ambition at the time was to be taken seriously as a classical actor, and he had already played serious roles at The Citizens Theatre in Glasgow.

So, after only a few months, he swapped the Rocky road in London for the bumpy path back to Scotland. Does he regret it?

“Hell, yes!” he chuckles. “What I didn’t realise, because I was so obsessed with becoming a classical actor, was that I could have done the classics afterwards.

‘‘And I could have stayed a year as Rocky, which would have been very good for my career. Because, although we were big-time in London, not long after I left, the show exploded worldwide.”

Although Rayner never quite became a megastar, he has always kept himself busy, performing in film, stage and television.

He has also written stage plays, and even appeared in further performances of The Rocky Horror Show in Japan and New Zealand.

“In later years I did make up for bailing out of the show,” says Rayner, who is now based in London and Bromsgrove. “Touring Japan twice was great, as was playing Rocky in New Zealand. Wearing a pair of skin-tight gold shorts has certainly allowed me to see a fair old bit of the world!”

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 Post subject: Re: Rayner Bourton Book
PostPosted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 11:44 am 
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And just for anyone who hasn't heard of it before, here's Rayner's (in)famous "glitter in the penis" story from The Rocky Horror Show when they had to turn away Mick Jagger from seeing a performance:

Quote:
(Audience) "You have to tell us the Glitter Story!"
(Rayner) "When we were performing the show I only had one costume change, from the glittery shorts to the finale costume. To help define my shape I would cover myself in oil and glitter to show the muscle outlines. Ouch! The glitter was made from powdered glass. We didn't have the same care taken of costumes as there is now and the outfit was covered in glitter from previous nights shows. Basically, on the Friday night show I got glitter where it shouldn't go and sliced the end of my penis. I awoke on the Saturday in the most pain I have ever been in my life. The show must go on as they say, so I tried cold baths, and even a cold shower before the show, the pain just got worse. We were meant to start the show at 10:30 and by 8:30 there was one member of the audience already there, Mick Jagger! We had to tell him that the show was cancelled as Rocky had something wrong with his cock. Mick's reply was 'Well haven't we all'. Worse was to come as the doctor decided that the swelling would have to be lanced (at this stage 200 guys at the convention, including the whole of the technical crew crossed their legs!). I still have the scars."

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