Little Shop of Horrors

Little Shop of Horrors is a well-known musical spoof of the 1950s and 60s American sci-fi movies and one of my favorite all time shows.

At the show’s centre, we have Seymour - a shy and awkward young man who works in the flower shop on the down-and-out Skid Row. This hilarious and cult story unfolds when Seymour discovers an odd looking ‘plant’ which develops an appetite for human blood and flesh.

Many of the songs have echoes of Motown and other 1960s classics therefore it’s difficult not to enjoy this peppy satire and its hilarious story.

Director Scott Welch did a good job working with Hertford’s Young Idea, the youth section of HD&OS. The cast was well prepared and delivered in a most professional way. Well done.

The star of the show, the plant –Audrey II –was manipulated well by the puppeteers and the voice provided by Carmelo Viviani was outstanding.

The Music was kept in check by Elle Jackson – the rock score didn’t overpower the action and the pace of the music was kept at a good speed throughout the show. I particularly loved “Mushnik & Son” and “Don’t It Go to Show You Never Know”.

Saskia Elia as Audrey really came into her own when she sang, however, I found it a struggle to link her acting with her singing as they were almost two entirely different performances. Singing is certainly her strongest asset and where she appeared to feel most 'at home'. Although the character she delivered was not her own, I do however, appreciate the difficulty not to mimic iconic interpretations of characters such as these. What was lacking for me, was a sense of vulnerability and helplessness.

Much of the story is told by the close harmony-singing group of the Skid Row Girls. They were so in tune with one another in movement and song that they could have been a professional singing group. I enjoyed their performance enormously.

Simon Davies (Orin the dentist) must have terrified the front row audience as he described his profession. Such a brilliant performance that I couldn’t help but feel glad when he was fed to Audrey II.

Benjamin Williamson was spot on and amusing in his role of the cardigan wearing Mr. Mushnik producing a very good Jewish /American accent which he was able to sustain throughout the performance.

George Roberts was fabulous as the downtrodden Seymour. Fantastic acting with wonderful vocals and great dance moves he never lost character for one minute. The layers to the characterisation were not lost here and every inch of comedy was wrangled from this portrayal. George’s scenes with both Benjamin and Saskia were exceptional with great chemistry between them and full on stage presence.

All American accents were well maintained and diction was clear, meaning dialogue could be followed easily.

The set was well executed and I liked the idea of the graffiti on the brick pros’ arch and the car in front of the shop window. Some intelligent thinking behind the overall look of the set here, well done.

My only criticism is that in the number Suppertime, the plant overpowered the dialogue and we could not hear what was being said, as a consequence we were not aware that if Audrey had not given the plant a drink she would never have got close enough to be eaten.

The comedic genius of Menken and Ashman is a joy, the rich script and witty lyrics cleverly inject a vaudevillian humour making this show a favorite for so many!

Congratulations Young Idea.

Thank you for your hospitality

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