Isn’t nature awful, trees blowing their leaves all over making the place untidy, plants everywhere being sprouty and full of pollen, all that kind of thing just makes me dislike nature on a fundamental level. Little Shop Of Horrors which the Grand showed this week gives me another more musical reason to distrust all that which is leafy…
Little Shop Of Horrors returned to the Grand for a stunning staging of the now perennial classic musical. Made even more popular than its long running stage production by the 1980’s movie the house was nearly full and when the curtain rose and the music started we all knew we were in for a theatrical treat.
An incredible set that had whole shop fronts rising and falling to create the Skid Row setting was a sight to see. The cast were on fire and bristling with energy and we all waited eagerly to see what has become the real star of the show, Audrey 2, the man eating plant discovered by Seymore that grows to bring an awful doom to all involved.
Before we get to the plant, it’s worth mentioning that the small cast are brilliant. It goes without saying that any actor will have to accept that they will be playing second fiddle to a 15ft man eating muppet on stage, but the main cast of Sam Lupton as Seymore and Stephanie Clift as Audrey are both outstanding. They inject real moments of genuine touching humanity despite the comedy and the carnivorous monster plant shenanigans.
Honourable mentions to Josh Wilmott as the sadistic dentist who’s gleeful performance is manic and threatening. Paul Kissaun gives a lovely warm then by turns malicious outing as Mushnik the doomed flower shop owner, add to that the cheeky trio of sassy schoolgirls and the small two person chorus to round off the cast that revel and look like they are loving every second on stage as much as we enjoy watching then from the audience.
What we have all come to see though if we are deep down honest is the plant. Audrey 2 start off as a small pot plant but over the duration of the show grows to monstrous size, leaves and shoots spiral across the set as the ‘head’ of the plant gets larger and larger, filling the set with its awesome presence as much as it’s incredible soulful voice fills the theatre. Neil Nicholas deserves a special mention as the unseen man behind the monster, he puts in a stellar performance that when linked to Phil Adèle’s deft puppeteering create a really life filled monster of massive and winning proportions.
The stage version doesn’t have the ‘happy ending’ that the film adaptation has. So a lot of the audience who expected that neat tie off were a little stunned as the plant kills off the main cast and throws them down it’s dulcet toned and eventually massive gullet, which was nice. To feel hundreds of people wrong footed and gasp when the tawdry but charming Audrey is fed to the plant was an unusual feeling in this world of tidy film to stage adaptations we are used to.
The tale of Seymour Krelborne and his mad man eating plant has never looked or sounded better than in Sell a Door Theatre’s sparky production. From the get go to the let go the production thunders along at a furious pace and the time just flew by. Hats off to the director, musicians and production crew for injecting an often inspired look, feel and sound to the show, it was a winner on all fronts and truly deserved the standing ovation it received.
Keep your eyes peeled for future tour dates and for whatever the next production Sell a Door bring to Blackpool. Oh, and if you see any strange and unusual plants on your travels, please leave them alone…
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