Little Shop Of Horrors

Little Shop of Horrors with music by Alan Menken and Book and Lyrics by Howard Ashman tells the quirky, darkly comedic story of Seymour Krelborn, a meek florist’s assistant who discovers a “strange and interesting” plant. He names it Audrey II, after his crush and coworker, Audrey, who dreams of escaping her troubled life in Skid Row. Seymour soon learns that Audrey II isn’t just any plant—it’s a carnivorous, bloodthirsty creature that grows bigger and stronger each time it’s fed.

The static set consisted of flats and trucks portraying Mushnik's shabby Skid Row flower shop. Director Lydia Cook also used the whole auditorium, all entrances and exits throughout to create a fully immersive experience for the audience, with the ensemble coming out preshow to interact with the audience and set the scene for downtown Skid Row. An area on the upper level was decorated with trash and bins to also set the scene. This worked really well overall, a minor thing but at times the ensemble and Ronettes when leaning on the railings did block our view of the stage. The lighting was always atmospheric shadowed and dingy, capturing the dreary feel of the shop, but I would have liked a bit more light at times as it was hard to see faces. More reds and greens were incorporated as Audrey II grew which gave a dramatic feel. The sound balance was excellent throughout and microphones well cued.

Musical Director Claire Alsop led the 10-piece band expertly, as mentioned the balance between the band and vocals was excellent. It’s clear that you worked really hard developing the rich blend of harmonies, especially with the Ronettes, it really paid off.

The choreography by Emily Weaver was thoughtfully designed and matched the mood of each number. The Ronettes choreography in particular was very slick, synchronised with lots of personality and attitude.

The costumes and makeup all worked well, with the majority reflecting the gritty scruffy world of skid row. Audrey’s costumes were less “tacky” than we usually see, which maybe reflected Bethan’s interpretation of the character but perhaps didn’t reflect the script “cheap and tasteless” “low and nasty”

In reviewing the Principal performances:

Seymour - a lovely almost child-like performance which worked really well. Your vocals were beautiful, and you had the audience on your side from the beginning. Your relationships with both Audrey and Mushnik were well developed and “Mushnik and Son” a favourite number of mine anyway did not disappoint.

Audrey - you did not give us the stereotypical Audrey, copying Ellen Greene’s famous portrayal of the role and I enjoyed your portrayal, you added your own more gentle/real interpretation, and it was great. Your vocals were lovely, “Somewhere That’s Green” and “Suddenly Seymour” were highlights.

Orin - a suitably villainous portrayal, with a good balance between sinister/sadistic and funny. I thought the moment between you and Seymour using the obvious differences in height worked brilliantly.

Mushnik  - Another strong performance, balancing the grumpy/ gruff with the humorous. As I mentioned above “Mushnik and Son” a highlight and a favourite of mine.

Audrey II - a really strong and imposing vocal performance which really worked well. You got the menace and the humour spot on.

Ronettes - Doubling the Ronettes allows for more opportunities in what is a small sized cast, and you all were excellent in the roles. Your harmonies were really tight, and choreography so slick and together. I could see your individual characters shine through and clearly time had been spent on developing them.

I want to mention the puppeteers working the Audrey II’s, in the programme it only mentions one person but I am told more than one was needed for the final fully grown plant. You did an excellent job; I gather it was very physically demanding and not an easy task to move. Co-ordinating voice and movements are also not an easy job. Well done.

From the pre-show and throughout, the ensemble worked hard to set the scene, with each one of you developing strong Skid Row characters, shop customers and all making the most of your various cameo roles. Well done.

Congratulations to everyone involved, another really wonderful performance from BMCC.

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