Book and Lyrics: Howard Ashman
Music: Alan Menken
Director: Amy Hodge
Little Shop of Horrors devotees will absolutely love this production – it’s brash, bright, loud and sassy. The Crucible is a glorious space for a large cast musical – with its spacious, wide thrust stage, and an excellent view from every (comfortable) seat. Little Shop is the Crucible’s Christmas show – continuing a fine tradition of box-office musical offerings for the family.
Little Shop of Horrors is a black-comedy about a man-eating-plant that is nurtured by a flower shop assistant, Seymour; brings him riches and the love of his life; but then results in his downfall – and potentially that of humanity, as the plant is propagated and spreads throughout the world. Not only that, but there’s domestic violence, coercive control, murder and underhand dealings on display. Not a bundle of laughs! And yet that’s exactly what most of the audience do as the cast rattle through the catchy tunes and wacky storyline.
The music is a mix of rock & roll, doo-wop, pop and R&B. The band are excellent, and visible above the stage in a gallery.
There are standout performances in the production from Colin Ryan as Seymour, the simple flower shop assistant; Georgina Onuorah, as Audrey, Seymour’s fellow shop assistant and the apple of his eye; and Wilf Scolding as Orin, Audrey’s sadistic boyfriend.
Scolding’s song Be A Dentist is the showstopper – his mother’s advice to him when she realises that he’s a sadist. He is handsome, super smooth, charming and seductive. That he immediately then bullies Audrey without a vestige of his charm on show makes that scene less than believable though.
Onuorah has an innocence which jars slightly with her calculated decision to stay with her bullying boyfriend, but her dusky voice is sublime in Somewhere That’s Green, as she dreams of a better life.
Ryan exudes a simple, wholesome honesty and naivete as Seymour, although his strong Birmingham accent stands out strangely amongst the more neutral British accents of the rest of the cast (which is also strange given that the musical is set on an American skid-row).
The man-eating plant, Audrey II, is typically voiced offstage, but here is played in human form by Sam Buttery and eventually also by four ensemble actors depicting her growing tendrils. Buttery’s image is reminiscent of the ‘70s drag queen Divine – outrageously dressed in sparkling, tight green Lycra, with make-up to match.
The sound levels on the show are incredibly loud – at times uncomfortably so – and occasionally distorting so that, unless you know the words, you have no idea what’s being said or sung. This is particularly the case in the ensemble pieces where the principles are drowned out. Something that will hopefully improve as the run progresses.
Definitely one to see for Little Shop fans – perhaps less so for those not in on the joke…
Runs until 18 January 2025
The Reviews Hub Score
Brash, loud, sassy
