PART 50s science-fiction B-movie, part 60s boy-meets-girl stage musical, with a dash of Day of the Triffids and a Faustian heart, Little Shop of Horrors takes The Royal Exchange’s Christmas tradition of the non-traditional Christmas show a stage further. It’s great fun, though perhaps not for the youngest in the family, especially if you’re planning an upcoming dentist visit.
Prior to production, audience curiosity was centred around the plant. Everyone knew that Audrey Two would need a spectacular treatment to make her work in the Royal Exchange’s theatre-in-the-round space
Most people know the basis of the story. Seymour Krelborn (Gunnar Cauthery) and Audrey (Kelly Price) both work in Mr Mushnik’s (Sévan Stephan) unsuccessful flower shop in an unsuccessful part of town. Everyone dreams of success. Seymour yearns for a girlfriend, but doesn’t believe he’s interesting enough for a pretty girl like Audrey; Audrey yearns for conventional success with a husband and a garden, but doesn’t believe she’s good enough for a good man like Seymour. Mr Mushnik’s on the verge of closing down the shop.
Seymour discovers a new and unusual plant, and names it Audrey Two. The plant is the catalyst whereby all characters move towards realising their dreams except for Orin, Audrey’s sadistic dentist boyfriend (Ako Mitchell), whose accidental yet avoidable death is welcome all round. And useful.
Little Shop of Horrors (Audrey in the foreground)
Kelly Price is a wonderful Audrey, capturing her vulnerability, and the wistfulness of her wishes singing Somewhere That’s Green. Gunnar Cauthery, whose fair hair can look grey in the lights, soon casts off the slightly old image to become a convincing young man, stumbling on success and succumbing to the temptations of charisma and the economic and sexual power it brings. Sévan Stephan enhances any musical theatre production. He has a great stage presence, is an agile mover, and is blessed with an attractive singing voice of clarity and power.
The story is introduced and reported on, Greek-chorus style, by a 60s-style girl group of three women, Crystal, Chiffon and Ronnette. See what they did there? The three voices of Ellena Vincent, Ibinabo Jack, and Joelle Moses are soulful, the dance moves snappy and the commentary gently nudging with hints of satire.
Prior to production, audience curiosity was centred around the plant. Everyone knew that Audrey Two would need a spectacular treatment to make her work in the Royal Exchange’s theatre-in-the-round space. Audrey Two has to grow, move and feed.
Director Derek Bond and designer James Perkins recruited War Horse-experienced puppeteer Toby Olie to ensure Royal Exchange audiences meet an Audrey Two liberated rather than constrained by the space. Dancer and singer Nuno Silva gives movement, assisted by James Carlton and CJ Johnson, and an attractive and strong voice to Audrey Two as her character and purpose develop. Despite the male voice Audrey Two is female, at least in my mind; she just uses a male voice to command. After all it is the late 50s to early 60s.
Little Shop of Horrors
Music direction by Tim Jackson makes the most of Alan Menken’s tunes to showcase Howard Ashman’s lyrics. The tunes might not be particularly memorable, but are instantly recognisable, very entertaining, and move the story along. You can see why Menken and Ashman went on to such success in song-writing for Disney films such as Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin. Jackson leads a five-piece band to give the tunes such a vibrancy and movement that it’s not too surprising to discover that he’s behind the choreography too. A real song-and-dance man.
The whole show is a vastly enjoyable outing: mainly great fun, but also slightly scary, and with a current of wide-angle but relatively low-impact satire running through it. Its targets include celebrity culture, the American dream, science-fiction B-movies, and our self-congratulatory response to superficial success.
The Royal Exchange is developing a habit of having sold-out shows. This one has a long run, but I’d still advise an early booking.
Little Shop of Horrors runs at The Royal Exchange until Saturday 31 January 2015.
