More than five decades after Richard O’Brien first staged his subversive musical, Toto Too (TT) resurrects The Rocky Horror Show at The Gladstone Oct 23 – Nov 1, further updating its transgressive message with a cast that includes many non-binary performers.
When it debuted in London in 1973, Rocky Horror brought explicit sexuality, queerness, and gender non-conforming identities to the stage, eventually spawning the cult 1975 film that still screens in theatres around the world.
Director Stefania Wheelhouse acknowledges that the script includes some outdated ideas about gender expression and consent. Written when counterculture pushed back against the prudish norms of the ‘50s and ’60s, the show “was breaking free of what was allowed to be felt,” she says. At its core, she adds, Rocky Horror is “sex positive.”
Modern LGBTQ+ audiences continue to embrace its rebellious spirit, and in this production, Jarrett Stoll, a non-binary performer, takes on the show’s iconic lead.
Originally from Midland, Ontario, Stoll began performing in musical theatre as a child, playing Augustus Gloop twice, and went on to direct Into the Woods in college. They’re also a regular at the monthly cabaret open mic Broadway Nights, and have performed with Oh Canada Eh? Dinner Theatre.
As a “queer, small-town” kid, Stoll says the film offered both an escape and a revelation.
“This movie was the way I could see myself and my community represented,” Stoll explained. “It wasn’t just important for me to see myself but also to see people across the LGBTQ+ spectrum being their full selves, unapologetically.”
Stoll arrived at the audition in stilettos and their “best Frank-N-Furter cosplay,” ready to shatter heteronormative ideals.
Frank, Stoll says, is “truly and fully themselves in every sense of the word. It has been so exciting and playful. In the story, they’re aliens, so to embrace all the things others might deem alien, and fully live in that, has been such a freeing experience. Especially in rehearsal, with such an accepting, queer, trans cast.”
Ian McLeod, who plays Riff Raff, puts it frankly; if a Rocky Horror run doesn’t have a killer doctor, there is no show.
“Luckily, we have a lord have mercy-level Frank in Jarrett,” McLeod observed. “The way he is able to inhabit, both the raucous, campy, Vaudevillian elements of the character, as well as the sultry, sexy, sinister side, and intertwine it all so fluidly is, honestly, is such a trip to watch. Bitchy, bawdy, joyous, frightening, volcanic, and vulnerable. It’s all there in fishnets.”These characters cast a long, dark shadow in audiences’ memories, McLeod says, and this ensemble is working to honour that legacy without resorting to mimicry.
McLeod, who starred in the 2022 rock opera Brother 12, says his take on the lurking handyman continues to evolve.
“It’s important to me to show Riff’s brand of stoic, disaffected skepticism—alongside these gleeful bursts of chaos. A lot of those traits already resonate with me pretty deeply. Add the gaunt expression, faraway stare, and rather tragic hairline that Riff and I naturally share, and you could argue I was born for this,” he laughed.
McLeod echoes Stoll’s appreciation for the film, recalling his youth in Edmonton, where he frequently attended screenings—“wasting toilet paper and disparaging poor Susan Sarandon with gusto.”
“Though I didn’t clock it that way at the time, those Rocky screenings were the first identifiably queer spaces my still-closeted, conservative-raised, lil’ gay self ever participated in,” he said. “It feels very full-circle to now be staging it with Ottawa’s LGBTQ+ theatre company.”
A veteran of Ottawa’s stage scene, Wheelhouse says she loves the “wonderful, creative outlet” that community theatre provides.
“TT specifically, I’ve had a wonderful time working with them. It’s a creative, open, forward-thinking company, always striving to be inclusive. I’ve always felt like my creative voice has been heard. It’s a wonderful space to be in.”
Stoll feels privileged to be working with this crew. From the first audition, it was clear TT was something different.
“It’s the most accepting theatre company right from the get-go,” Stoll said. “It fosters a sense of community. You can truly be yourself. I can just go for it. There’s a camaraderie I don’t think you’ll find anywhere else.”
Wheelhouse hopes to leave the Halloween season audiences “delighted, titillated, and maybe a little scared. If you are a fan of the film you are going to have an absolute blast.”
“Expect fabulous amounts of sequins and drama,” Stoll adds, laughing maniacally. “With mischief and mayhem from Frank-N-Furter himself.”