Warning: spoilers ahead! As the Halloween spirit crept in and neighborhood foliage shifted to an auburn hue, you may have seen crimson posters advertising Rocky Horror McGill on your walk to campus through Milton Parc or, perhaps, in the lavatory at McLennan Library.   The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) is a campy, science- fiction film, released after an unsuccessful stint on Broadway in 1973. In the movie, a mundane, upper middle class couple — Brad and Janet — get a flat tire during a thunderstorm, leading them t seek out a phone at a nearby castle. Unbeknownst to them, the place is home to the alien Dr. Frank-N-Furter — who refers to themself as a “transvestite” — and their eccentric group of friends, lovers, and servants; this includes Magenta and her brother Riff Raff, Columbia and her boyfriend Eddie, and Rocky — Frank-N-Furter’s blond and muscular Frankenstein-like creation. The film has since become a global cult-phenomenon, with theatres across the world still screening it decades after its release. Traditionally, a shadow cast — a group of people who dress up as the characters and act out the movie by lipsyncing in time with the film — often performs the show, while audience members wear costumes, use props to interact with the film, and shout at the screen between nearly every line of dialogue. Rocky Horror McGill, however, went beyond what’s expected of a typical live- showing and incorporated activism into the event. Rocky Horror McGill’s Frank-N-Furter, also known by their stage name, Melissa Potamia, spoke with the Daily before the event, saying they hoped for “big reactions” from the audience: “I think that the participation is just such a big part of this show, and I’m very excited because it helps me with my lines too, […] so I really appreciate everyone who will be shouting at the top of their volume. I can’t wait to see everyone in the audience, and especially in a room like Leacock 132, that many people shouting — oh, it’s gonna be fabulous. We’re gonna cause this ruckus, which is the point of the show.” While a midnight showing on Halloween is the classic experience, Rocky Horror productions are a year-round event. This year, for the first time, a collection of students, rather than any specific interest group or club, organized and hosted its very own live showing. On Friday, October 30 2026, I donned my costume (Magenta) and headed to the Rocky Horror live-showing in Leacock 132. Doors opened at 7:00 PM. Last-minute tickets were sold at the door, as well as individual prop bags. “The props that we [use] will definitely cause laughs,” said Potamia. “I think that they’re unique to the audience that is coming, so I think it will make people feel very special and hopefully make them… I don’t know… channel the energy of the film within [their] own lives.” Regardless of whether or not they had bought a prop bag, everyone received a copy of The McKill Times — a two-sided fictional newspaper sheet written in the style of The Onion. In addition to being the first prop used by audience members during the show, acting as a makeshift umbrella when the shadow cast sprayed the audience with water, The McKill Times provided a satirical overview of the causes supported by Rocky Horror McGill. While many of the statements made in the newspaper were reiterated by multiple speakers before the live show began, The McKill Times provided a disclaimer that “the views in this newspaper do not represent the views of the cast and crew, or any of the organizations which contributed to this paper.” The newspaper touched on topics such as the lack of renovations for non-STEM buildings, McGill’s ID policy, and GardaWorld. It also advertised upcoming events, such as: community lunches at Co-Op Bar Milton (BMP), the Kanien’kehá:ka Kahnistensera (Mohawk Mothers) vigil on November 6, the Coalition de résistance pour l’unité étudiante syndicale (La CRUES) protest on November 13, and the Teaching Support Union at McGill (TSUM) general assembly on November 23. Moreover, the event provided exposure for various local groups and their causes through tables in the Leacock lobby: TSUM, the Association of McGill University Support Employees (AMUSE), CKUT-90.6 FM, the Montreal Trans Patient Union (MTPU), Change Course, and QPIRG McGill. Rocky Horror McGill was clearly a two-way community- effort. QPIRG provided Rocky Horror McGill with funding and printing. The BMP solidarity meal program provided the cast and crew with snacks duringrehearsals, and the Players’ Theatre allowed access to their costume closet. Incidentally, all proceeds from the show’s pay-what-you-can tickets and prop bags are to be split between the Sameer Project in Palestine and trans-affirming mutual aid funds in Montreal, including those organized by the MTPU. At around 8:15 PM, the MC came out wearing a baseball cap and a black medical mask, likely for anonymity. Making a sermon-like speech on the problems posed by the McGill administration, they led the audience through the “Free Palestine” chant, and reflected on Tim Curry’s legacy. Prior to the show, Potamia had also spoken to the Daily about the tragic loss of such an influential icon: “I think that Tim Curry was such a unique actor for his appreciation towards the queer community throughout his career. His love for his art really inspired a lot of queer people. I think that he’s deeply missed. I know that for a fact. I miss him.” The MC also brought attention to the problematic nature of the original 1975 film, which Potamia also elaborated on in their interview: “It’s still quite a controversial musical. There’s no way [of] approaching this musical without recognizing that there is transfemme-phobia, and that’s a big part of why this show was kind of acceptable for its time. […] As queer people, we have the opportunity to reclaim this as our own, and see the beauty and the absolute […] joy that comes from watching this as a queer person. “This show is more important than ever,” Potamia expressed. “Transphobia is on the rise […] The discrimination [against] trans people is so prominent in society — and even within our own generation — that it makes me worried for what the future has for trans people.” Following the MC’s speech, representatives of CKUT, QPIRG, the MTPU, and AMUSE spoke. CKUT and QPIRG emphasized the importance of voting in the Fall 2026 SSMU Referendum. The spokesperson for the MTPU brought attention to the fact that, GrS Montreal — the only clinic providing completely subsidized gender affirmation surgeries in Quebec — has the capacity to take on more patients but instead has increased its wait times, sometimes by years, due to lack of provincial funds. The AMUSE representative touched on the ongoing negotiations with McGill about their new collective agreement — a situation that is very relevant to many members of the production, who range from 17-year-old undergrads to 28-year-old PhD students. The AMUSE spokesperson concluded with a sentiment also printed in The McKill Times’ editor’s note: “McGill works because we do.” After this, the Rocky Horror virgin initiation began. This part of the production is different at every live showing. I have witnessed a variety of the strange inductions that make Rocky Horror a “cult classic.” At the door, those who had never seen a live show before had been marked by a red letter “V” painted on their cheek. The MC came back out, stripped off their jacket and pants to reveal a black mini-skirt and bikini, and directed the Rocky Horror virgins to stand up. Then, they guided the newcomers, section by section, in moaning McGill President and Vice-Chancellor Deep Saini’s name as if they were experiencing an orgasm. Then, the live showing began; the famous red lips appeared on the screen and the song “Science Fiction / Double Feature” started to play. A member of the shadow cast appeared on stage and made their way through the crowd, which would happen repeatedly throughout the show. The activist messaging continued throughout the production. In the opening scene of Rocky Horror, a billboard appears on screen. The shadow cast held up their own sign during this scene, but instead of reading “Denton: The Home of Happiness,” their sign read “McKill: A MKULTRA Production.” MKULTRA refers to the illegal psychiatric experimentation conducted between 1948 and 1964 at the Alan Memorial Institute, a hospital affiliated with McGill. Similarly, during the famous “Time Warp” dance scene, a banner was shown in the movie and by the shadow cast. However, the Rocky Horror McGill standard read “No Justice, No Peace” instead of the film’s “Annual Transylvanian Convention” (Transylvania is the planet in the galaxy of Transexual where Frank, Magenta and Riff Raff come from). Furthermore, when Columbia performed a tap dance in this scene, the shadow cast member Columbia held up a Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN) flag. Beyond the activist elements, the show was impressive in its own right — especially for production which, according to The McKill Times editor’s note, started out as a “semi-joke” that “came to [them] over beers on a rooftop in late August.” Extensive time and intensive effort had clearly gone into the project, with the cast and crew working through budget and time constraints to create a wonderful and entertaining final production on such a large scale. This is especially remarkable given that, according to Potamia, “[they had] thrown this together in, like, a month, and it was quite shocking that [they had been] able to do it.” Rocky Horror McGill’s shadow cast went above and beyond to quite literally furnish the set, physically acting as inanimate objects: the windshield wipers on Janet and Brad’s car, Frank’s house door, and the workout bench Frank gifts to Rocky. Creative substitutions were also made by way of props. Instead of a motorcycle and a saxophone as featured in the movie, the shadow cast member Eddie arrived on a Bixi and played a bright teal recorder during “Hot Patootie — Bless My Soul.” A fake pickaxe was used first as a murder weapon when Frank-N-Furter killed Eddie, and then again as Brad’s appendage. A bed sheet was also used twice: first it was held u like a screen and illuminated by a spotlight so that the audience could only see the shadowy silhouettes of the cast; and again during the final scene, when the shadow cast Brad vaped what seemed like a couple dozen puffs in place of a fog machine. Potamia asserts, “I really hope that the audience [is] able to celebrate this musical for generations to come,” and they hope that Rocky Horror McGill “will continue a legacy of future productions.” Rocky Horror is so much more than a campy film or a fun time — though it succeeds at being both. Above all, it allows queer joy to flourish by creating a safe space where one can be unapologetically oneself. As Potamia says: “There truly is nothing like Rocky Horror Picture Show.”