He’s the only one wearing a suit. In a room full of fishnets, gold spandex, and alien transvestites from Transsexual, Transylvania, the narrator Rocky Horror Show fans know and love (or love to hate) stands out because he looks so aggressively normal. He’s the "Criminologist." He’s the guy with the necktie, the pipe, and the leather-bound book who sits in a dark office trying to make sense of a night that makes absolutely no sense.
But here’s the thing. If you’ve ever sat through a midnight screening with a bag of rice and a roll of toilet paper, you know he isn't just there to tell the story. He’s the bridge between us—the "normal" audience—and the absolute chaos happening at the Frankenstein place.
Most people think of him as a boring plot device. They're wrong. Without the narrator, the show isn't a parody of 1950s sci-fi; it’s just a fever dream. He provides the "expert" veneer that Richard O’Brien used to satirize the very idea of moral authority.
The Criminologist: More Than Just a Map Reference
When Richard O'Brien wrote The Rocky Horror Show in 1973, he wasn't just throwing glitter at a wall. He was pulling from very specific tropes of B-movies and RKO Radio Pictures. The character of the narrator Rocky Horror Show cast lists often call the Criminologist is a direct riff on the "Expert Witness" or the "Science Narrator" found in 1950s instructional films and horror flicks like The Deadly Mantis or Plan 9 from Outer Space.
He is an "authority figure."
Think about it. Why do we need a criminologist to explain a story about a sweet couple whose car broke down? Because, in the world of Rocky Horror, the act of "indulgence" is treated as a crime against the status quo. He’s there to examine the evidence.
Charles Gray played the role in the 1975 film The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Gray brought this incredible, posh gravitas to the role. He had no neck. Seriously, look at him in the "Time Warp" scene. He’s all jawline and velvet jacket. He treats the lyrics of "The Time Warp" like he’s reading a coroners' report. It’s hilarious because he is so deeply serious about something so profoundly stupid.
The "No Neck" Phenomenon and Other Set Secrets
If you’ve been to a live shadow cast performance, you’ve heard the "No Neck" callbacks. It’s one of the oldest running jokes in the fandom. During Gray’s scenes, the audience relentlessly mocks his lack of a visible neckline.
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Interestingly, Gray wasn't the first choice. Various actors have stepped into those sensible shoes over the decades. In the original London stage production at the Royal Court Theatre, the role was played by Jonathan Adams. Adams actually went on to play Dr. Everett Scott in the film version. It’s a strange bit of casting trivia—the guy who originally told the story ended up becoming a victim of the story’s protagonist, Frank-N-Furter, later on.
The role demands a specific kind of "stiff upper lip" energy.
You need someone who can say "I would like, if I may, to take you on a strange journey" without sounding like they're in on the joke. The moment the narrator winks at the camera, the tension breaks. The humor comes from the fact that he believes he is in a serious documentary while a man in a corset is singing about "Sweet Transvestite" in the next room.
Why the Narrator is the Ultimate Audience Proxy
Honestly, we are the narrator.
We sit in the dark. We watch Brad and Janet lose their innocence. We analyze the "mental examination" that the Criminologist mentions.
One of the most overlooked aspects of the narrator Rocky Horror Show role is the "Time Warp." In the film, he’s the one who literally teaches us the dance. He uses a pointer and diagrams. He breaks down the jump to the left and the step to the right. It’s a meta-commentary on how we consume media. We need someone to explain the "rules" of the subculture to us before we can join in.
But as the show progresses, even the Narrator starts to lose his grip.
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By the end of the film, during "Super Heroes," the Criminologist looks genuinely distressed. He’s reading about how "crawling on the planet's face, insects called the human race, lost in time, and lost in space... and meaning."
He goes from being a confident scientist to a man facing a cosmic existential crisis. It’s dark. It’s way darker than the "Time Warp" suggests. He realizes that the "order" he represents—the suits, the laws, the pipes—doesn't mean anything in the face of Frank-N-Furter’s radical hedonism.
Famous Faces in the Narrator’s Chair
Because the role is mostly stationary and doesn't require singing (usually), it has become a "celebrity guest" spot in modern stage revivals. It’s a way to get a big name in the program without asking them to do an eight-minute dance number.
- Stephen Fry: He brought a classic British wit to the 40th-anniversary show.
- Emma Bunton (Baby Spice): Proved that the role doesn't have to be an old man with a pipe.
- Tim Curry: In a beautiful full-circle moment, the original Frank-N-Furter played the Criminologist in the 2016 Fox televised tribute. Seeing Curry—who suffered a stroke in 2012—back on screen was an emotional powerhouse for fans. He didn't need to do the pelvic thrust anymore; he had the gravitas of the man who started it all.
- Anthony Head: Known for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, he’s played both Frank and the Narrator at different points in his career.
Each actor changes the vibe. A younger narrator makes the story feel like a cautionary tale. An older narrator makes it feel like a nostalgic, slightly regretful memory.
The Missing Song: "Once in a While"
There is a major piece of narrator Rocky Horror Show history that often gets cut. In the original stage show, the Narrator has more interplay with the characters. In some versions, there's a heavy implication that he might be more connected to the events than he lets on.
In the film, a song called "Once in a While" was filmed but cut from the final theatrical release. It was Brad’s solo after he’s "seduced" by Frank. The Narrator was supposed to transition into this moment, grounding Brad’s heartbreak in a scientific context. Without it, the Narrator feels a bit more detached, which actually worked out better for the film’s pacing. It kept him as an outsider looking in through a magnifying glass.
How to Nail the Narrator Role (For Local Theater)
If you’re a performer looking to tackle this, don't play it for laughs. That is the biggest mistake.
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The Criminologist is funny because he isn't trying to be. You have to be the most serious person in the building. You are a man of science. You are investigating a double disappearance. You are a detective in a noir film who somehow wandered into a glitter factory.
- Master the "The": When you say "The Time Warp," say it like it’s a terrifying biological virus.
- The Pipe is a Prop, Use It: It’s an extension of your authority. Use it to point. Use it to stall.
- Ignore the Callbacks: In a shadow cast setting, people will scream horrible things at you. The "Expert" wouldn't hear them. He is focused on the data.
- The Ending Matters: Don't just read the final lines. Feel the weight of "Lost in time, and lost in space." The show is a tragedy disguised as a party. The Narrator is the only one who stays sober enough to realize that.
The Cultural Legacy of the Criminologist
We live in a world of "explainers." YouTube is full of people in glasses sitting in front of bookshelves explaining complicated topics. The narrator Rocky Horror Show was the original version of this. He’s the "Video Essayist" of the 1970s.
He represents the part of us that wants to categorize everything. We want to put Frank-N-Furter in a box. We want to label Janet’s sexual awakening. We want to find the "meaning" in the "strange journey."
But Richard O’Brien’s masterpiece tells us that you can’t.
By the time the castle lifts off and returns to Transsexual, Transylvania, the Narrator is left standing in the dirt, clutching his book, with absolutely no answers. He failed his mission. He couldn't "criminologize" the human spirit's desire to be wild.
That’s why he still matters. He is the reminder that even the smartest people in the room are just "insects called the human race."
If you're heading to a show tonight, pay attention to the guy in the suit. He’s not just the intermission. He’s the anchor. He’s the reason the madness feels so big—because he’s there to show us how small our "normal" world really is.
Next Steps for the Ultimate Fan:
If you want to truly appreciate the Narrator's craft, go back and watch the 1975 film specifically focusing on the background of his office. Look at the books on his shelves—some of them are actual medical and legal texts of the era. Then, compare Charles Gray's performance to the 2016 Tim Curry version. You'll see how the character evolves from a clinical observer to a weary survivor of the story itself. Check your local independent cinema for "Shadow Cast" listings; seeing the Narrator deal with live audience "No Neck" insults is a rite of passage for any theater lover.