Little Shop of Horrors

Few cult musicals have enjoyed as remarkable a journey from screen to stage as Little Shop of Horrors. The story began as a 1960 low-budget black-and-white film by director Roger Corman, shot in two days and featuring a young Jack Nicholson. But it was the 1982 Off-Broadway stage adaptation by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman that transformed the quirky tale of a hapless florist and a man-eating plant into a genuine phenomenon. Menken and Ashman, who would later redefine Disney animation with The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, brought their signature blend of doo-wop, Motown, early rock and roll, and Broadway show tunes to what they called a "musical comedy horror show." The result was an instant classic: a funny, dark, and surprisingly tender satire of consumerism, ambition, and the American Dream. With its memorable characters, its Greek chorus of street urchins (the Ronnettes), and the spectacular puppet of Audrey II, Little Shop of Horrors has become a beloved staple of community and youth theatre. It was this delightfully twisted gem that Belvoir Players Academy (Youth) brought to vibrant, energetic life at the Belvoir Studios on 1 May 2026, under the assured direction of Alex McKelvey, with musical direction by Wilson Shields and choreography by Maeve Lagan. From the moment I arrived, greeted by a warm welcome from Director McKelvey himself and the front of house team, it was clear that this production had been crafted with love, care, and a deep understanding of the show's unique blend of horror and heart.

The intimate setting of the Belvoir Studios proved an ideal home for this production. The cleverly designed set made excellent use of the space, with entrances through the auditorium to facilitate the large cast. Two front doors, one stage right and one stage left, immediately established the grimy, desperate location of Skid Row, while the clever use of partial clothes for presets and during scene changes kept the action flowing smoothly. The legs side stage were well painted and in keeping with the period and genre of the show, showing attention to detail that extended throughout the visual production. The painted floor of the shop helped to emphasise the scenes and differentiate them from the street scenes, a simple but effective design choice. A five-piece band, located to the left of the auditorium, provided the musical backbone of the evening, and from the first downbeat, their energy was unmistakable. However, I must note that the sound balance occasionally proved problematic, particularly during the opening moments of the show. The preset of the "wino" or drunk homeless person (Marcus Rana) on the doorstep helped immediately to bring us into the setting of Skid Row, his presence a silent promise of the show's downbeat milieu. Unfortunately, his rich voice was not fully picked up by the sound system and was partially drowned out by the very strong band. Similarly, Seymour's first number suffered from the same imbalance, with the vocals struggling to sit above the instrumentation. This was a recurring issue throughout the evening—most notably during Mushnik's death scene, where dialogue was lost, and during the Dentist's featured moments, where his vocals were not sufficiently highlighted above the band. These technical gremlins were a genuine shame, as they occasionally obscured some fine performances, but they never entirely derailed the show's infectious momentum.

When the sound balance worked, however, it worked beautifully. The show started with a strong opening as the Ronnettes and the ensemble performed with real attitude, their harmonies cutting through the mix with a wonderful doo-wop authenticity. Maeve Lagan's choreography for the prologue and the opening number "Skid Row" was a great strength from the very beginning, creating busy, desperate, wonderfully theatrical patterns that immediately established the world of the show. The Ronnettes—Ella Coey, Holly Coey, Aoife Murphy, Elenor Bakewell, Julia Hamilton, and Gabriella Watson—were excellent throughout the evening, very strong vocally and impressively coordinated in their dancing. I loved the appearance of the girls in the window during "Somewhere That's Green" (often referred to as "Total Eclipse" in the notes), a lovely directorial touch that added visual interest. If I were to offer a small note of perfectionism, coordinating the two different colours of costumes within the dance numbers would have made an already polished presentation truly perfect. Nevertheless, these young performers were a genuine asset to the production, their energy never flagging from the first note to the last.

The costumes throughout were fabulous, all in keeping with the period and genre of the show. I particularly liked Mushnik's grey hair and costume, which effectively set him apart from the younger cast and established him as a man of a different, more beaten-down generation. Seymour's costume and glasses were perfect, immediately communicating his character's nerdy, earnest, overlooked quality. Audrey's costumes were beautifully coordinated, including her matching sling—a detail that demonstrated the costume department's commitment to character consistency. Her fabulous hairstyle and makeup were perfect for the role, enhancing Catherine Lewis's already strong embodiment of the character. The Dentist's costume was also good: a leather jacket worn over scrubs, capturing the character's delusional rock-star swagger. The ensemble costumes were generally very good as well; kudos to the costume department for appropriately costuming such a large and enthusiastic cast, no small feat in any youth production.

The cast was led by a trio of strong central performances. As Seymour, Jake Bennett (sharing the role with Ronan McGoldrick on alternate performances) delivered a wonderfully awkward and endearing performance. His physicality was perfectly calibrated to the character, and his voice grew in confidence as the evening progressed. As Audrey, Catherine Lewis (alternating with Megan McSorley) was a revelation. She possesses a beautiful singing voice, and her acting really captured the character's vulnerability, her doomed romanticism, and her heartbreaking belief that she doesn't deserve better. Her rendition of "Somewhere That's Green" was tender and affecting, and her costumes, hair, and makeup were impeccable. The final kiss between Seymour and Audrey in "Suddenly Seymour" was very believable, a testament to the connection these two performers built across the evening. That said, the number was occasionally negatively affected by the angles of the performers and some unfortunate upstaging; a reminder for future productions that in a duet of such emotional importance, every degree of body position matters. Liam Johnson as Mushnik brought a wonderful curmudgeonly energy to the role, and his duet with Seymour, "Mushnik and Son," was a true highlight of Act I. I loved the physicality and the choreography in this number; it was sharp, funny, and perfectly timed, capturing the transactional desperation of the father-son relationship with both humour and pathos.

As the Dentist, Fintan Hughes (alternating with Casper Spence) delivered a very good performance, though I felt the character could have been more menacing. His singing became much more menacing during his musical numbers—"Be a Dentist" was very well performed—but this was unfortunately undermined when the sound balance didn't highlight his vocals sufficiently over the band. I would also suggest that future productions consider using a canister rather than an inhaler as the prop for his nitrous oxide; the inhaler was too small and not visually menacing enough for such a grotesque character. These are, however, relatively small notes in an otherwise strong supporting turn. The role of Audrey II, the flesh-eating plant, was brought to vocal life by Amelia Lindsay, whose voice provided the plant's seductive, soulful growl. The puppetry itself was very effective, operated with skill by Katie Rose Spence as the plant puppeteer. A closer coordination of the vocals to the mouth movements would have greatly enhanced the presentation, as there were moments where the lip-sync felt slightly disconnected from the vocals. Nevertheless, the plant's growth across the evening was handled with theatrical flair, and the final, fully developed Audrey II was genuinely impressive.

A special mention must go to the choreography, which was definitely a real strength in this production. Maeve Lagan demonstrated clever, inventive staging throughout, with particularly effective use of the Ronnettes, the ensemble, and the dancers. The ballet of "Future Audrey" (Isabella Lewis) was a lovely, dreamlike interlude, beautifully performed. The finale was superb, bringing together all the elements of the production—puppetry, choreography, vocals, and that wonderfully dark comic sensibility—into a showstopping conclusion that helped to bring the audience to their feet for a well-deserved standing ovation. I also appreciated the small but memorable contributions from the supporting cast: Marcus Rana as the Wino/Customer, Georgia Watson as Mr Berstein, Phoebe Preshur as Mrs Luce, Alex Armstrong as Skip Snip, and Ethan Harper as Mr Martin—all of whom added texture and life to the world of Skid Row.

In summary, Belvoir Players Academy (Youth) delivered a fabulous production of Little Shop of Horrors. Despite occasional technical frustrations with sound balance and a handful of directorial refinements that could elevate an already strong show to an even higher level, this was an evening of joyous, energetic, and genuinely moving community theatre. Director Alex McKelvey, Musical Director Wilson Shields, Assistant Director Ellie Wisomer, and Choreographer Maeve Lagan should be immensely proud of what they have achieved with this large and talented young cast. From the strong opening to the standing ovation, Little Shop of Horrors bloomed with creativity, commitment, and a deep affection for the material. 

Congratulations to all the performers and the creative team on a job exceptionally well done. Feed me, indeed—and this production left me hungry for more.

 

The views in this report are solely of the author.

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