Little Shop of Horrors continues at George Watson’s College Open-Air Theatre, Edinburgh until 14 August 2021.
Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
A-Team Productions’ open-air revisit of Little Shop of Horrors delivers in spades. A clearly passionate youth theatre cast has firmly grasped the nettle and presented a show that all involved should be proud of.
Howard Ashman and Alan Menken’s 1986 musical – based on the 1960 Roger Corman movie of the same name – is actually a good choice for young performers, thanks to a decent range of roles for all abilities. And there’s clearly a talented pool of kids to draw upon here. Cameron Kelsey and Bailey Cavanagh are a very capable and likeable duo as romantic leads Seymour and Audrey. Neither are shrinking violets, and their confidence and reliability surely gives director Jackie Robinson and MD Cerys Reading the reassurance that all will be well with the show.
Likewise, the sassy doo-wop Greek Chorus (or should that be Leek Chorus?!) of Ronette, Crystal and Chiffon, played respectively by Robin McGillivray, Ailish Barry and Heather Richardson, provide a solid anchoring for the show.
From these roots grow the supporting branches of Aaron Clason (Mushnik), Daniel Hogg (Orin Scrivello, DDS) and, most impressively of all, Joe Gill as the carnivorous Audrey II. If I hadn’t seen the young lad pop his head out of the plant at the curtain call, I would’ve sworn that the voice of the plant was rumbling out of a six-foot-tall baritone!
With six more credited roles – radio announcers, shoppers, talent scouts and the like – and an ensemble of 12, the small outdoor stage could risk becoming crowded but things never get out of hand. Robinson clearly has a well-drilled bunch of kids on her hands, all the more impressive given what must have been a very challenging rehearsal period this year.
And yes, I did say outdoors. If you want ‘somewhere that’s green’, then the sports field of George Watson’s College is the perfect setting – if a little cold. You just have to imagine that the bangs coming from the hockey practice in the adjoining field are gunshots somewhere in Skid Row. Interestingly, the last time I saw this show was also outdoors, in the Regent’s Park production, and I have to say I enjoyed this version just as much.
The last word should go to the full-grown Audrey II – an impressive, animated stage prop that would be welcomed in any professional production, operated by Joe Gill and Daniel Thompson. Truly monstrous!
All the plants were designed and built by the creative team, Rosie Gill and Daniel Thompson who were assisted by Kenny Robinson and Rhiannon Magill.
Craig Glenday
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