Jez Unwin in Little Shop of Horrors at Salisbury Playhouse, and then at Mercury Theatre, Colchester. Picture: Richard Davenport
Little Shop of Horrors continues at the Salisbury Playhouse until 16 May, then transfers to the Mercury Theatre, Colchester from 27 May to 13 June.
Star rating: 4 stars ★ ★ ★ ★
Any show that rhymes ‘greatest’ with ‘semi-sadist’ and ‘Audrey’ with ‘tawdry’ gets my vote.
In fact, Little Shop of Horrors has been in my Top Ten musicals for many years, so the bar is set pretty high for any production that comes my way. This one is a cracker.
Nothing is perfect and there are a few caveats – the sound desk hasn’t quite got it right yet – but they are minor glitches and should be sorted soon and in time for the production making its way to the Mercury Theatre, Colchester for a second run in a few weeks time.
Salisbury Playhouse and Mercury Theatre, Colchester are, of course, twin theatres, designed on identical lines by architect Norman Downie, so co-productions between the two make economic and artistic sense.
Last year, Betty Blue Eyes crossed the country from Colchester to Salisbury and this year Salisbury’s return gift is this mean, green mother of a musical about a geeky shop assistant and a man-eating plant bent on world domination.
It’s long been a staple of colleges, schools and amdram societies, but professional revivals are thin on the ground, so this one is welcome.
Seymour Krelborn (played with gawky charm by Ben Stott) hasn’t had much luck in life. Growing up on Skid Row as an orphan, he counts himself lucky to have been taken in and routinely mistreated by florist Mr Mushnik (Simeon Truby).
He harbours a secret passion for shop assistant Audrey (Frances McNamee in fine voice), but she already has a boyfriend in demented dentist Orin.
But all that changes when he brings home a strange and interesting plant with an appetite for human blood.
Named Audrey II – manipulated by Andrew London and voiced by Leon Craig, one minute velvet smooth, the next petulant and tetchy – it strikes a Faustian pact with Seymour.
As it feeds, so it grows and for a brief while, Seymour’s future looks a whole lot brighter, but this is part sci-fi, part horror B-movie, so it doesn’t last and the ending is so grim it had to be changed for the film.
But we theatregoers are made of sterner stuff and the audience in Salisbury lapped it up as a fun with foliage treat plus catchy tunes, nifty choreography courtesy of Nick Winston, and a stunning Skid Row tenement set that rears high above the stage, designed by James Button and lit by David W Kidd.
Director Gareth Machin keeps it lively and loud, just as it should be, and gives the comedy full rein. In this he is well served by Jez Unwin who puts in a terrific turn as the dentist, and then follows it up with a great sequence of quick-changing cameos as various agents trying to sign Seymour.
Acting as Greek chorus to the whole thing, Karis Jack, Gbemisola Ikumelo and Carole Stennett are as sassy as they come as harmonising street urchins Chiffon, Crystal and Ronnette.
Definitely one to send you out into the night humming the tunes.
Lesley Bates
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