Review: Little Shop of Horrors

The hilariously twisted hit musical comes to The Crucible The Howard Ashman play is an incredibly devious sci-fi smash hit, and has been devoured by theatre goers for over 30 years as one of the longest-running Off-Broadway shows, and this Sheffield Theatres edition directed by Amy Hodge poses no exception to this audience satisfaction. The…

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The hilariously twisted hit musical comes to The Crucible

The Howard Ashman play is an incredibly devious sci-fi smash hit, and has been devoured by theatre goers for over 30 years as one of the longest-running Off-Broadway shows, and this Sheffield Theatres edition directed by Amy Hodge poses no exception to this audience satisfaction.

The story centres the endearingly awkward Seymour, played by Colin Ryan (Leonardo, Dr Who), a flower shop assistant at a dying business on Skid Row, Los Angeles. He stumbles across a rare plant he names ‘Audrey II’, after his coworker and crush played by Georgina Onuorah (Oklahoma!, The Wizard of Oz), and suddenly becomes aware of the plant’s *unusual* dietary requirements- human blood.

The fascinatingly odd plant luckily reaches word of the streets of Los Angeles, skyrocketing the popularity of the business, as well as Seymour’s fame- but it comes, of course, at a sickeningly twisted price. ‘Audrey II’, played by the incredible Sam Buttery (Cabaret, Kaos, Child 44), quickly starts to consume (pun intended) Seymour’s life in every aspect, beginning to morph from an inanimate object into a talking sinister vegetation hungry for fresh human blood. Seymour swiftly begins to get an increasing amount of blood on his hands attempting to keep the plant alive, and (spoiler alert) sacrifices those around him to it for fame, success and love.

An evening at The Crucible always promises some unique staging and production, and this performance poses no exception. Amy Hodge creates a magically surreal, sometimes silly and other times chilling experience, using all aspects of The Crucible’s thrust stage, projecting to the audience from all angles to give a fresh take on a classic musical.

The talented cast produce other-worldly vocals on Alan Menken’s tunes, particularly Lizzy Rose Esin Kelly as Ronette, Paige Fenlon as Chiffon and Charlotte Jaconelli as Crystal. The trio open the show with their immaculate harmonies and powerful belts, maintaining hilarious chemistry with each of the central characters.

The charmingly ridiculous tongue-in-cheek comedy is worthy of a Saturday Night Live sketch, with antagonist Orin, played by Wilf Scolding (Cabaret, A Midsummer Night’s Dream), creating roaring belly laughs with his hysterical portrayal of the Audrey’s evil motorcycle-riding boyfriend. His solo ‘Dentist!’, in which he reveals his unexpected profession, was an all-singing-all-dancing extravaganza featuring ensemble cast members frolicking to his singing dressed as giant teeth, and had the audience in hysterics the entire time.

As the sinister plot is revealed, Sam Buttery’s glittering portrayal of the menacing ‘Audrey II’ completely takes over, finishing the musical with an outrageously absurd and villainous victory.

This hilariously unconventional musical brings together a wonderfully gifted cast and outstanding production team, transforming The Crucible into a hysterical sci-fi nightmare, for an unforgettable evening of absurdity.

Visit www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk for more information