Little Shop of Horrors

Welwyn Thalians performed the comedy horror rock musical, Little Shop of Horrors, at the Hawthorne Theatre in Welwyn. This well-known story follows the hapless florist shop worker, Seymour Krelborn, who raises an alien plant in the hope of changing his fortunes. Little does he know that his ‘strange and interesting’ plant, which feeds on human blood and flesh, has plans of its own.

Brimming with enthusiasm, the cast certainly delivered with some exceptional moments. Alex Ryde, was well cast as the nerdy, needy, pathetic and bumbling Seymour, and provided a convincing performance, showcasing excellent musical ability.

Audrey, played by Tammy Wall, gave a marvellous interpretation of the hopeless, gullible heroine, with beautiful vocals throughout. “Somewhere That’s Green” showed great musicality and control.

Audrey 2 was skillfully executed in a combined effort by both puppeteer (Vincent Clemmens) and vocalist (Peter Sayers) to provide a convincing portrayal of the animated plant.

Mr. Mushnik (Terry Cull) acted the shopkeeper well and I enjoyed his duet with Seymour “Mushnik and Son “.

Orin (Tim Spinks) gave some good comic, outlandish moments as the sadistic Dentist. It is all too easy to go over the top with this part, however, there were moments when I did not feel this actor went far enough. A difficult part to interpret during rehearsals and a little more balance was needed here. 

The Chrystal Girls, Chiffon and Ronnette were well cast and delivered some outstanding solo and joint vocals, certainly talents to watch out for in the future.

The supporting ensemble all threw themselves into the spirit of the production with great enthusiasm and clearly enjoyed being involved in this fun musical. “Skid Row - Down Town” was an excellent start to the show.

Director, Amanda Sayers, assisted by Nick Baker, provided a good interpretation of this musical, ensuring all key directional elements such as simple setting, continuous action, flowing pace and spatial consistency were achieved.

MD, Peter Farrell, handled the orchestration well, providing good tempo and sound throughout, achieving well-balanced group sound and harmonies.

The Choreography was adequate and well performed, albeit there was a slight lack of creativity and a sense of clumsiness about it at times. Overall, the production was of a high standard and I am sure that the company was extremely proud of their creative team with what they produced.

Technically, the planning and execution of the lighting was of a high standard apart from some occasional dark spots down stage. The sound and effects were generally well controlled; the set was simple, visually consistent, and well sourced, enabling near-seamless transitions and good pace. The costumes were the correct style and added to the visual quality.

Projection and characterizations were very good in a well-directed show, which the whole audience thoroughly enjoyed and showed their appreciation with some very enthusiastic applause.

Thank you for your generous hospitality.

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