Tim Curry Shares the Story of the 'Small Tantrum' He Threw in the Early Days of The Rocky Horror Picture Show's Stage Run

Tim Curry let his feelings be known in the early days of The Rocky Horror Picture Show phenomenon.

Appearing in the Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror — a new documentary by Linus O'Brien, son of creator Richard O’Brien, examining his father's creative brainchild — the beloved actor, 78, recalled setting the tone when the stage show debuted in London in the 1970s.

"It was a really good time. It was very creative and I remember reaching a crisis fairly early on because I would snap out an order to somebody and they wouldn’t quite jump to it," Curry remembered.

"And I stopped and sort of had a rather small tantrum and said, ‘Look I can’t be powerful if you don’t accept the power and at least cringe a little.’ So that took care of that pretty quickly."

Curry continued, "I mean, they were awfully good about that. Acting is a very competitive sport and you have to take it on, like a prize fight. And I’ve lost a few in my time.”

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The cast and crew alike were shocked when reviews praised the production. The show began selling out, night after night. The phenomenon was just beginning, and Curry's performance was a big part of it.

Belinda Sinclair, the first to play Janet Weiss, recalled how the show "absolutely exploded."

"It was shocking how successful it was and how people were really crushing to get in and see it. It was something alive, something so funny but also something quite tragic because one day you’re in love for Frank-N-Furter and the next you felt terribly sorry for Frank-N-Furter," Sinclair added.

"You laughed at Brad and Janet and then you felt terribly scared for them. There was so much in it, emotionally," she continued.

The documentary was created with a team that included Avner Shiloah, Adam Gibbs and Garret Price. The director previously told PEOPLE that seeing how many people the film has touched inspired him to dive into its history.

"Several years ago, I stumbled upon the YouTube page for the song 'I’m Going Home,' one of the highlights from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. As I read through the comments, I was overcome with emotion — each person shared their personal story and the deep place the song held in their heart," Linus told PEOPLE exclusively.

Linus was born just more than a year before The Rocky Horror Picture Show made its stage premiere in London's Royal Court Theatre in June 1973.

"While Rocky Horror had always been a major part of my life, and I was well aware of its societal impact, this was the first time I truly grasped the enormity of its influence on individual lives," he notes.

"That realization became the genesis of this film — Rocky Horror is unique in the way it created communities and spaces for people to express themselves without judgment — to feel liberated in every way they choose and to find a home among others like them. This documentary is as much a celebration of them as it is of Rocky Horror itself."

Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror recently premiered at SXSW and is currently seeking distribution.