In these times of austerity—especially for theatres—playing it safe with a popular and well-known modern musical is probably a good idea, and what better production then the quirky, vibrant and colourful Little Shop of Horrors.
With the story revolving around a hapless hero and a carnivorous plant and with lots of comedy and doo wop/rock 'n' roll songs, this is a fun, family friendly production that appeals to all ages and most tastes.
This is a joint production with Hull Truck, Octagon Theatre, Bolton and Keswick’s Theatre by the Lake. It’s directed by Octagon’s Lotte Wakeham but in a very similar style to many previous New Wolsey Theatre productions in that the multi-talented cast double up as the band under the spirited direction of Gabrielle Ball, as well as perform their characters.
The setting is a 1950s / '60s America and a seedy downtown florist shop on Skid Row run by a Mr Mushnik (played with exuberance by Andrew Whitehead). He has two employees, nerdy downtrodden Seymour (a perfectly cast Oliver Mawdsley), whom he took in as an orphan and is eternally grateful to be his dogsbody, and the lovely Audrey (Laura Jane Matthewson), unlucky in love and worshipped from afar by the said Seymour.
Business is terrible and Mushnik is about to call it quits when Seymour produces a "strange and interesting plant" he’s been trying to grow. Its presence in the window starts to attract customers, but it’s sick. Seymour discovers the only food that makes it grow is human blood, and so begins a comic / macabre quest to find victims for the ever-growing and increasingly vocal and demanding plant that he’s named Audrey 2.
There are some really great songs, including "Skid Row", "Suddenly Seymour" and "Somewhere That’s Green". Janna May, Zweyla Mitchell dos Santos and Chardai Shaw are in great sassy voice as the three backing singers; Mawdsley too has a very strong voice and delivers his songs well, but Matthewson steals the show with her numbers and her stage presence.
Matthew Ganley is a suitably evil dentist in the main villain role, but the show largely sinks or swims on the quality of the Audrey 2 puppets and these are pretty impressive, animated by puppeteer Matthew Heywood and voiced with a mighty presence by Anton Stephans.
This is a colourful, pacy show with plenty of humour that never takes itself too seriously. A great night out for all the family and thoroughly recommended.