Ben Loy as Seymour
REVIEW: Last Night I Dreamt Of (Callum Fellows)
Little Shop of Horrors is a show that you can really sink your teeth into and it’s refreshing to see more done with this production by Southey Musical Theatre Company.
The puppets were impressive, though the Act II puppeteer may want to consider an outfit that will make him appear less visible when operating the monstrous fly-trap, though I cannot criticise his ability to puppeteer such a large and amazing creation.
The sets superbly present both the graffiti covered streets of Skid Row and Mushnik’s flourishing flower shop. Although it’s hardly surprising once you discover the sets providers are called Little Shop of Hires; they were made for this. There were one or two mishaps with props, but whilst the props might have broken the actors never broke and carried on, quickly amending any issues without it interrupting the flow of the performance.
The spray painted streets of Skid Row serve as the home to some unusual new residents from a drunk cop to a job-searching clown. All the ensemble have been given their own unique characters with their own storylines happening in the background of the plant-based drama, which was an interesting concept and was performed to great effect by all the ensemble performers.
Of course no run-down back alley would be complete without a trio of glamorous singers to provide some musical accompaniment to Seymour’s miserable life. Here they were performed by Karen Wilkins, Abbie Oldfield and Elsa Russell, who were all very talented singing who added some great harmonies to the otherwise spine-chilling story. Speaking of musical accompaniment, I must credit the band who, whilst hidden behind graffiti covered construction boards, provided great renditions of Alan Menken’s music.
The stand-out performances came from Robbie McGann and Ellie Needham. McGann as Orin, the leather-bound dentist, suited the role down to a tee. He is clearly someone who revels in playing such a perverse and psychotic character, giggling and cackling giddily throughout. During the interval I was disappointed upon realising that this character would not be returning for the next act. However, there was definitely a big surprise waiting in Act II, and I’m not just referring to the giant man-eating plant.
Ellie Needham gave a strong performance as Audrey with great character acting. The song “Somewhere That’s Green” was not only well-sung but also very emotional, as Needham’s eyes filled with tears as she described each detail of the idyllic life she dreams of.
Theatre staff were very helpful at getting me to my seat. The building, Theatre Deli, is vibrant and colourful, though it was particularly cold and draughty, causing myself and others to opt to keep our coats and jackets on throughout the performance. I unfortunately found the seats rather uncomfortable and, from what I’ve heard, I was not alone in my discomfort. However, this building remains a welcoming one, and I must mention their inclusion of a giant chalkboard which welcomes audience members to write messages for the people involved in the productions. I found this to be a very creative and sweet gesture.
Overall this was a well-done, enjoyable show without a weak-link in the cast and some new and surprising additions. Many fans of Little Shop of Horrors will be aware that whilst the film’s conclusion ends on quite a light note, the musical’s climax is far bleaker. Southey’s production has managed to find the best of both worlds with a unique ending that I have not seen elsewhere. All the more reason to go and see the show for yourself. But remember… Don’t feed the plant!
Little Shop of Horrors is a show that you can really sink your teeth into and it’s refreshing to see more done with this production by Southey Musical Theatre Company.
The puppets were impressive, though the Act II puppeteer may want to consider an outfit that will make him appear less visible when operating the monstrous fly-trap, though I cannot criticise his ability to puppeteer such a large and amazing creation.
The sets superbly present both the graffiti covered streets of Skid Row and Mushnik’s flourishing flower shop. Although it’s hardly surprising once you discover the sets providers are called Little Shop of Hires; they were made for this. There were one or two mishaps with props, but whilst the props might have broken the actors never broke and carried on, quickly amending any issues without it interrupting the flow of the performance.
The spray painted streets of Skid Row serve as the home to some unusual new residents from a drunk cop to a job-searching clown. All the ensemble have been given their own unique characters with their own storylines happening in the background of the plant-based drama, which was an interesting concept and was performed to great effect by all the ensemble performers.
Of course no run-down back alley would be complete without a trio of glamorous singers to provide some musical accompaniment to Seymour’s miserable life. Here they were performed by Karen Wilkins, Abbie Oldfield and Elsa Russell, who were all very talented singing who added some great harmonies to the otherwise spine-chilling story. Speaking of musical accompaniment, I must credit the band who, whilst hidden behind graffiti covered construction boards, provided great renditions of Alan Menken’s music.
The stand-out performances came from Robbie McGann and Ellie Needham. McGann as Orin, the leather-bound dentist, suited the role down to a tee. He is clearly someone who revels in playing such a perverse and psychotic character, giggling and cackling giddily throughout. During the interval I was disappointed upon realising that this character would not be returning for the next act. However, there was definitely a big surprise waiting in Act II, and I’m not just referring to the giant man-eating plant.
Ellie Needham gave a strong performance as Audrey with great character acting. The song “Somewhere That’s Green” was not only well-sung but also very emotional, as Needham’s eyes filled with tears as she described each detail of the idyllic life she dreams of.
Theatre staff were very helpful at getting me to my seat. The building, Theatre Deli, is vibrant and colourful, though it was particularly cold and draughty, causing myself and others to opt to keep our coats and jackets on throughout the performance. I unfortunately found the seats rather uncomfortable and, from what I’ve heard, I was not alone in my discomfort. However, this building remains a welcoming one, and I must mention their inclusion of a giant chalkboard which welcomes audience members to write messages for the people involved in the productions. I found this to be a very creative and sweet gesture.
Overall this was a well-done, enjoyable show without a weak-link in the cast and some new and surprising additions. Many fans of Little Shop of Horrors will be aware that whilst the film’s conclusion ends on quite a light note, the musical’s climax is far bleaker. Southey’s production has managed to find the best of both worlds with a unique ending that I have not seen elsewhere. All the more reason to go and see the show for yourself. But remember… Don’t feed the plant!
Full Company
REVIEW: Big Stamp of Approval (Craig Daniels)
Seymour Krelborn, an orphan and shy amateur botanist, is taken in and works for Mr Mushnik, the owner of a run-down florists in a seedy part of Skid Row. Seymour spends his time doing menial tasks and dreaming of his co-worker shop assistant Audrey. One day, just after an eclipse of the sun Seymour discovers a strange plant. He buys it and names it Audrey II, as the plant grows so does his relationship with Audrey.Southey Musical Theatre Company were brave taking on this cult classic but I think they managed to pull it off and give it the performance that it deserved. With classic songs such a Feed Me!, Dentist! and Suddenly Seymour it’s a foot-tapping blast from start to finish.
The casting choices for this show were superb, Ben Loy as Seymour was spot on, you could really feel the nervous and slightly geeky energy emanating from him during the performance, at one point there was a prop malfunction with the Audrey II which caused the audience to laugh but Ben just styled it out and due to his great acting skills it appeared almost intentional. His on-stage chemistry with Ellie Needham who played Audrey was fantastic, both had exceptional voices and some of the best moments of the show were when they were on the stage together.
Robbie McGann as Orin Scrivello was brilliant, in fact my favourite performance of the night, managing to portray with apparent ease the sadistic dentist with a bit of a camp over the top comedy twist.
As good as all the cast were we all know who the real star of the show is and that’s Audrey II. The puppetry performed by Michael Anderson brought the prop to life and they got the voice so true to the movie it instantly took me back to when I first watched the film in my early teens.
The set captures well a florist shop in a run-down part of town which has obviously seen better days. The graffiti on the walls give the set an urban feel where you wouldn’t want to be out on your own on an evening.
There were a few technical hiccups with the sound, and the venue was echoey which had a negative effect on being able to hear the singers as their voices were sometimes drowned out by the band, which is a real shame as they had amazing voices.
A really good production of Little Shop of Horrors that pays homage to the film in tone and style. The entire cast and production crew of the show are an extremely talented bunch with some exceptional singing voices. If you’ve got chance I’d highly recommend seeing this show before it completes its run.
Seymour Krelborn, an orphan and shy amateur botanist, is taken in and works for Mr Mushnik, the owner of a run-down florists in a seedy part of Skid Row. Seymour spends his time doing menial tasks and dreaming of his co-worker shop assistant Audrey. One day, just after an eclipse of the sun Seymour discovers a strange plant. He buys it and names it Audrey II, as the plant grows so does his relationship with Audrey.Southey Musical Theatre Company were brave taking on this cult classic but I think they managed to pull it off and give it the performance that it deserved. With classic songs such a Feed Me!, Dentist! and Suddenly Seymour it’s a foot-tapping blast from start to finish.
The casting choices for this show were superb, Ben Loy as Seymour was spot on, you could really feel the nervous and slightly geeky energy emanating from him during the performance, at one point there was a prop malfunction with the Audrey II which caused the audience to laugh but Ben just styled it out and due to his great acting skills it appeared almost intentional. His on-stage chemistry with Ellie Needham who played Audrey was fantastic, both had exceptional voices and some of the best moments of the show were when they were on the stage together.
Robbie McGann as Orin Scrivello was brilliant, in fact my favourite performance of the night, managing to portray with apparent ease the sadistic dentist with a bit of a camp over the top comedy twist.
As good as all the cast were we all know who the real star of the show is and that’s Audrey II. The puppetry performed by Michael Anderson brought the prop to life and they got the voice so true to the movie it instantly took me back to when I first watched the film in my early teens.
The set captures well a florist shop in a run-down part of town which has obviously seen better days. The graffiti on the walls give the set an urban feel where you wouldn’t want to be out on your own on an evening.
There were a few technical hiccups with the sound, and the venue was echoey which had a negative effect on being able to hear the singers as their voices were sometimes drowned out by the band, which is a real shame as they had amazing voices.
A really good production of Little Shop of Horrors that pays homage to the film in tone and style. The entire cast and production crew of the show are an extremely talented bunch with some exceptional singing voices. If you’ve got chance I’d highly recommend seeing this show before it completes its run.
Official Show Photographs (courtesy of Nick Plummer-Walsh - all images are subject to copyright, taken at the dress rehearsal).