Little Shop Of Horrors

Anticipation filled the air as the audience arrived and settled in a green glow and enjoyed a good selection of 80s music at Whitkirk Arts Guild's production of Little Shop of Horrors.

A cleverly themed, colourful fun-packed programme was just the finest pre-show entertainment, with plenty more to enjoy later. It had everything, including a masterclass on the making of Audrey II.

The open set showed the Mushniks’s Flower Shop, which was appropriately bare, with some forlorn-looking flowers and plants and with the trash can  reminding us that this was Skid Row the mood was set. The set itself was minimal but so effective, having been cleverly designed and constructed by society members. The addition of shop signage and windows gave the shopfront real character, making it instantly recognisable. This worked well with the inclusion of steps and a raised level, all used to excellent effect, making the most of the limited space and allowing flexibility so that interesting and varied groupings could be achieved. Maximum use was made of the floor-level side door entrances, which also helped with keeping the action flowing smoothly. The sudden appearance of the dentist's chair through the curtains added drama and proved to be an excellent way of avoiding clumsy scene changes.

The props were maintaining the period of the show, but the prize has to go to the flowers and plants. Handmade blooms by Laura Harvey, who led her team comprising Helen Speight, Gail Jackson, Maureen Hodge and members’ friends and family to provide hundreds of blooms. They turned recycled materials into fabulous blooms, which filled the many shelves of the shop brilliantly.

The major accolade, however, simply has to go to John Cassells and Matthew Jackson, designers and builders of the mighty Audrey II, and Emma Cassells and Nick Jackson for the other fearsome plants. A massive feat indeed. These plants were the best I’ve ever seen in any production. They actually appeared to be alive and looked to be a breathing living thing.

The transformation from the run-down florist’s shop into a thriving business was wonderfully achieved. The addition of signs and extra foliage as the plant grew also added to the storytelling, and the closed-for-renovation transformation was dramatic. All using recycled materials, which is praiseworthy indeed.

Lighting, sound, and costumes were excellent throughout, which all added to the occasion, and the ever-efficient stage manager Lynne Bigland, along with her reliable crew, Tim Bigland and Keith Speight, kept the show flowing at all times. The lighting was expertly designed by the wizard that is Dan Dainter and sound by Chris Beardwell. They ensured that the mood was just right for the entire performance, shifting seamlessly between fun, drama and tension to enhance every moment on stage. Costumes were just right for every character and were accentuated by some brilliant hairstyling, wigs and makeup and the look was finished off nicely with shoes to die for. Congratulations to the talented Nichola Taberner for stylish designs working along with Sarah Louise Martin and others. Creating colour themed outfits for the nine Chiffs was especially good and a director/choreographer's dream to be able to create no end of varying patterns with the colour options. Great style and imagination providing strong visuals significantly enhanced the show.

Louise Norbury-Hall brought her usual high-quality musical direction and the resulting first-class harmonies were evidence of a great deal of hard work. Louise has the skill to bring the best out of every performer and together with Charlotte Jackson, they make a formidable team.

 Claire Norbury-Hall kept the choreography in fitting with the feel of the show and to the strengths of the performers, creating memorable routines and making the most of limited space.

Credit for the success of this show must go to the Director, Charlotte Jackson, who certainly brought something different and led her team fantastically to achieve her rather interesting interpretation. Charlotte recognised the talent and strengths within the society and, together with her MD, took on the challenge of having three groups of Chiffs and this really worked well. Her direction was superb, bringing the story to life with creative staging and dynamic movement and she encouraged her cast to develop well-rounded characters. At no time did she allow the pace to drop or drag whilst using every member to build layers and produce incredible storytelling.

Special Shout Outs.

A special mention for the ensemble: Nick Jackson as Skip Snip,Keeley Row as Mrs. Luce, Frankie Lakin, Helen Thomson, Annie Mallinson, Laura Womersley, Sam Rawlings, Les Walker and Frances Harbour. Everyone added depth and an extra layer of fun to the musical numbers, were vital to the storytelling and delivered their roles with great aplomb.

Blue, Red, and Yellow Chiffs: Claire Jackson, Judy Harberd, Nichola Taberner, Mia Rayson Regan Sophie Rumbold, Sarah Louise Martin, Olivia Montague, Claire Norbury Hall and Louise Norbury -Hall. Their delivery of the opening number “Little Shop of Horrors” really set the tone for the standard of the performance. These ladies delivered stunning harmonies throughout the show, as well as strong characterisations Using three groups of girls was certainly different but paid off. I especially liked the lovely harmonies as well as stylish choreography and dance. All moved well and provided a good core to the production, linking all together nicely like a Greek chorus.

Emma Cassells played the part of Mrs. Mushnik with relish and made the character come over strongly. Although this role is usually male, Emma was strong enough to make this work as she delivered a well-defined performance, bringing clear and concise characterisation to the stage. With a grumpy and opportunistic demeanour that was consistently believable, it provided a sharp contrast to the more vulnerable characters.

 

Plant wranglers Matthew Jackson, Frankie Lakin, Nick Jackson and John Cassells were skilled at animating the plant to ensure a threatening presence. Thanks to their skills, Audrey II really did appear to be a living, breathing thing. They had obviously worked long and hard syncing with the vocals. It is physically demanding and is not an easy task to coordinate movements and voice. This was achieved but is no mean feat, as when speaking, your mouth always moves before the sound is heard, so as a plant operator, you need to learn the script to anticipate the lines coming from the voice. Adam Folkard gave Audrey II a soulful presence, captivating the audience with his powerful vocals. His voice was strong and expressive, with a gorgeous, rich tone that added impact to every song and his varying plea to be fed. An incredible performance, Adam.

Matthew Jackson savoured every moment in his role as Orin the sadistic dentist. He brought the character to life with disturbing eyes and was slightly terrifying when manic following his use of nitrous oxide. He sang impressively while wearing a full-face mask, a feat that added to his commanding performance. Matthew was definitely the villain of the piece and so convincing was he that we were not entirely sorry to see him go.

Beth Henderson-Clark has amazing stage presence, she made this character her own with mannerisms, facial expressions and a voice to kill for... her rendition of ‘Suddenly Seymour’ with Seymour and The Chiffs was amazing ‘topped only’ by ‘Something that’s Green’. Her vulnerability and naivety were evident from her first appearance, and her lack of self-esteem added layers of poignancy to her role. In her quieter moments, she conveyed a tender fragility that made her struggles and hopes feel palpable, while in her musical numbers she displayed remarkable control and expressiveness, filling the songs with both emotion and heart. Beth infused the character with depth and sincerity, making every moment on stage compelling.

Chris Newsome took on a massive challenge as Seymour who was rarely off stage and had so many emotions to get through, both emotionally and physically. Chris never faltered and his characterisation was excellent; appropriately nerdy and nervous, becoming stronger and more confident as he realises he has to face up to Orin the dentist and Audrey II. Chris brought the character vividly to life including in his movement and dancing. In key scenes with Audrey and the mysterious plant, he balanced humour and sincerity with impeccable timing.

What use is a show without an audience so a special mention must be made for Mia Rayson Reagan and Chris Newsome who played a vital role promoting the show. Eye catching posters, informative press releases and no end of teasers and online postings. People couldn’t wait to see what would pop up next.

This was to be a superb production of Little Shop of Horrors and a fantastic example of how non-professional theatre can be just as creative, slick and entertaining as any professional show. The narrative flowed and scenes moved along quickly in this chillingly dark yet surprisingly funny tale packed full of great characters and song. Each song was pacey and provided an energetic first-class production. which showcased the high level of the company’s vocal and movement talents.

This quirky off beat show needs a team of dedicated people working together in all areas for it to be a true success, which this certainly was. This was very much a collaborative show. Congratulations to absolutely everyone involved from the entire cast, crew, front of house, bar staff, construction crew and last but definitely not least of all the incredible creatives and production team.

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