On the drawing board for almost four years, Shock Treatment is notionally a sequel to the 1975 cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Some semblance of continuity is provided by two of the central characters from Rocky Horror, Brad and Janet Majors (nee Weiss) – although now played by Jessica Harper and Cliff De Young instead of Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick.
Set in Denton (‘The Home of Happiness’), all the action takes place in the local TV studios. Original cast members Richard O’Brien (who also wrote the film and composed much of the music,) Patricia Quinn, Little Nell Campbell and Charles Gray all appear. Barry Humphries and Ruby Wax are there too.
O’Brien (who played Riff Raff in Rocky Horror) is Cosmo McKinley, the deranged doctor whose shiny head adorns the posters and soundtrack album cover for Shock Treatment.
Brad and Janet find married life is not as happy as it should be and decide to appear as contestants on Denton’s daytime couple-counselling show, Marriage Maze. But the TV channel’s sponsor (Jack Nicholson lookalike Farley Flavors) takes a shine to Mrs Majors and arranges to have her husband removed from the scene.
Farley (also played by Cliff De Young) has Brad committed to the local asylum, and in his absence, Janet tastes the giddy heights of small-town television stardom.
Janet Majors
Jessica Harper Brad Majors
Cliff De Young Dr Cosmo McKinley
Richard O’Brien Dr Nation McKinley
Patricia Quinn Farley Flavors
Cliff De Young Judge Oliver Wright
Charles Gray Nurse Ansalong
Nell Campbell ‘Rest Home’ Ricky
Rik Mayall Betty Hapschatt
Ruby Wax Ralph Hapschatt
Jeremy Newson Bert Schnick
Barry Humphries Emily Weiss
Darlene Johnson Harry Weiss
Manning Redwood Macy Struthers
Wendy Raebeck Neely Pritt
Betsy Brantley Vance Parker
Chris Malcolm Kirk
Eugene Lipinski Irwin Lapsey
Barry Dennen Oscar Drill
Gary Shail Brenda Drill
Claire Toeman Glish Davidson
Donald Waugh
