The Little Shop of Horrors

Little Shop of Horrors is one of my favourite, dark, absurd and ridiculously funny Musicals of the 20th Century that, unlike the Hollywood film version does not pull its punches with a suitably dystopian ending.  I have had the pleasure of directing two productions of Little Shop myself over the past 15 years and I always look forward to seeing how each new production team and company put their stamp on the show.

Matt and Pete had done a very impressive job in this production with the vocal clarity and the interplay between the principal characters and ensemble alike very evident from the pre-show engagement with the audience all the way to the final bars of Don’t Feed The Plant.

At the heart of any production of Little Shop is the relationship between Seymour, Audrey and Mushnik.  Luke Ogley Neeve, Fern Van der Vliet and Amy Coxhill were all on great form both individually and also as a team in their Skid Row florist shop as it is transformed by the dark force that Seymour unsuspectingly brings with him in the form of Audrey 2 the flesh eating “strange and unusual plant”.  It’s the first time I have seen a production with a Mrs Mushnik and I have to say that this works incredibly well thanks to the impressively over-the-top (without scene stealing too much) energy brought to the character by Amy in every scene she is in.

Luke and Fern were the perfect combination as Seymour and Audrey bringing out the mutual nervousness and low self-image they both have and with perfect diction and pitching in both cases delivered some of the best show highlights (Suddenly Seymour, Feed Me) I have heard in any Little Shop Production.  Sam Simmons was, I think, the most intimidating dentist I have seen and ensured that the psychopathic tendencies of Orin Scrivello DDS were unmistakeable which ensured that the audience were almost relieved by his untimely death in his own special gas mask at the end of the wonderfully silly It’s Just the Gas.

I have always believed that the physical Pods for Audrey 2 the plant, don’t make the show, but can break a production of little shop if their quality isn’t up to scratch.  Tonight they were just right bringing the apparent cuteness of a puppy with Pod 1 all the way to the monstrous Pod 3/4.  It is however the Voice of Audrey 2 that is crucial and also the timing that the puppeteer has manged to develop with “the voice” actor to ensure that the lips of the plant move fractionally before you hear the words to convince you that it is the plant talking and singing.  Hats off therefore to both Richard Morgan for a great vocal performance and Jacob Minard for great realistic puppet work and script learning that made “Feed Me” one of the highlights of the show, and also some impressive human swallowing scenes in Act Two.

Dionne Roberts, Zoe Nelson and Deanna Malbon worked really well together with great choreography and were all in impressive voice driving forward all the scenes Crystal, Ronnette and Chiffon were involved in, and ensured that “Skid Row” was a highlight of Act One and Don’t Feed The Plant has a strong start in Act Two.

All these principal roles are nothing without a strong supporting cast of small but critical parts and so congratulations to Reuben, Hayley, Shaun, Mathew, Natalie, Julie, Helen, Stephen, Helen, Stephen, Laura, Rebecca and Hazel for your great contributions throughout the production.

I always prefer a production that is accompanied by a live band/orchestra as it adds a dynamic dimension to the show. Tonight Pete and his talented band delivered a driving soundtrack that never overpowered the vocal performances and added significantly to the quality of the experience.

Costume and Set provided just the right backdrop to the show and the new lighting rig at the Acorn theatre was used to great effect in many scenes although occasionally a little more of a wash would have supported the audience seeing all the dimensions of the acting performances but this was a minor observation as for most scenes the lighting added significantly to the malevolence of the plant and increasing unease of the audience about its motives.

A very enjoyable production full of powerful performances and a great soundtrack – I really had a great time in the Acorn theatre tonight – so thank you one and all and here’s to every success in your new, more appropriate named  Worksop Musical Theatre Society!

© NODA CIO.  All rights reserved 

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.