The Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) Playhouse has been a good place to find black comedies over the first half of 2016. Back in January we were treated to Heathers the Musical, an adaptation of the 1980s cult film which honed in on issues surrounding suicide and peer pressure. Fast forward a few months, and Queenslanders are now being given the chance to watch the newest Australian production of cult classic Little Shop of Horrors.
Originating on the Hayes Theatre Co stage in Sydney a few months back, this production features a creative team of seasoned veterans (Many of whom were involved in the 2014 production of Sweet Charity) and a cast of just nine. But while smaller than the productions you might catch in the Lyric Theatre or Concert Hall, this team presents a chilling tale with both passion and clear talent, and a few unique twists which sets itself apart from others.
For those unfamiliar with its story, Little Shop of Horrors follows the tale of Seymour Krelborn, a hapless and meek assistant at a down-on-its-luck flower shop on skid row. Harbouring feelings towards his co-worker Audrey, who is within an abusive relationship, he decides to name a unique plant he discovered after her – Audrey II. Public interest generated by the plant sees Seymour’s fortunes change almost immediately, with success and a bright future at his fingertips. But it is from those same fingertips that Audrey II has been consuming blood, allowing it to both grow and evolve. This plant might be the means of Seymour getting everything he desires… but now able to talk and consume whole bodies, it demands more substantial ingredients. In a question of morality and ethics, can Seymour become a murderer in order to protect this secret and the one he truly loves? And more importantly… what is the goal of this ever-growing plant?
While some of the topics focused upon such as domestic abuse and murder might not be everyone’s cup of tea, although not inappropriate in the way they are used, the story presented in Little Shop of Horrors worked well as both a black comedy and as an overall stage musical experience. Its both intellectually clever and creative in the way it handles tropes, and provided a continuously enjoyable experience from the moment it opened. And I literally mean the moment it opened, given their fantastic choice for pre-recorded opening narrator received cheers from several audience members on opening night.
Above: Brent Hill performing as Seymour and Audrey II in “Feed Me Seymour“
Leading the Little Shop of Horrors cast is Brent Hill as Seymour, who absolutely nails his role as the character. If I were to picture the voice and appearance of my idealistic Seymour, he would pretty much fit the bill in every aspect. But it is not this role he should be most commended for. As a substantial twist exclusive to this production, he is also the voice of Audrey II. While they don’t hide this fact (as on several occasions Hill has to voice Audrey II while facing the audience), it is impressive how he managed to transition between two very distinct voices without any vocal issues or getting the characters muddled up. This is despite many occasions where he needed to quickly transition between the voices. Whether he managed to accomplish this through “Black Magic” or lots of training, his skill as an actor shone in these moments. The realism was also enhanced with both Hill and the controllers of Audrey II being almost flawlessly synchronised from my perspective in the audience.
Joining Hill onstage is Esther Hannaford as Audrey, whose experience as both a performer and singer-songwriter also shines. She presents vocals which suit the 1960s setting, but are distinct enough to separate her from other performances I have heard previously. Her performances in “Somewhere That’s Green” and “Suddenly Seymour” were particularly notable to me, as both managed to repeatedly send chills down my spine.
The secondary cast includes the impressive Tyler Coppin as Mr Mushnik, Scott Johnson who represented the role of sadistic dentist Orin Scrivello, D.D.S well, and both Dash Kruck and Kuki Tipoki in a variety of roles. The final three cast members represent the streetwise urchins – Angelique Cassimatis, Josie Lane and Chloe Zuel. Given their prominence in many of the songs, all three were fantastic performers. That being said, from my perspective the audio levels on their vocals were too loud during some of the songs, meaning that they were not always easy to understand, at least from where I was sitting.
The choreography provided by Andrew Hallsworth was great in my opinion, and the cast handled their roles in terms of vocals and movements well.
Above: Brent Hill and Esther Hannaford performing Suddenly Seymour
What I personally like about Little Shop of Horrors is that many of the songs are well incorporated into the narrative, rather that being performed for the sake of having another musical number. Musical director Andrew Worboys was joined by a small but very effective band in bringing a distinct assortment of music throughout the show. From the upbeat doo-wop ballads in Little Shop of Horrors and Da Roo, the powerfully emotional Somewhere That’s Green to the klezmer themed Mushnik and Son – the cast and band alike expertly handled each song.
Each act only uses one standard set design, which represents the interior of the flower shop. On multiple occasions a curtain is pulled across the interior, and digital designs used to represent the shopfront or a completely new locale. They may initially come across as simplistic, but the set designs are actually quite clever. As mentioned in my interview with producer Liza McLean, the first act has a completely monochrome set, which pays homage to the original 1960s film. The second act sees the set go full technicolour, which represents the 1980s musical film starring Rick Moranis. It was a really interesting approach to take, and in my opinion made both acts visually distinct without impacting on the quality of the performance. Outside of Audrey II, all costumes and props also receive the black and white treatment during Act 1 before going colourful.
Whenever a new production of Little Shop of Horrors pops up, it is always interesting to see how a creative team choose to build Audrey II. This production recruited Erth Visual and Physical Inc. to create the infamous plant, ultimately creating something well detailed and visually daunting as it continues to grow.
Final Words on Little Shop of Horrors
Provided you don’t mind a musical which dives into darker elements, Little Shop of Horrors would be my top pick for entertainment this coming weekend. In presenting this cult classic which already has the foundations of a solid storyline and intriguing concepts, director Dean Bryant and co has turned it into a memorable experience through fantastic casting choices, great puppetry designs and a few small yet distinct twists which sets it apart from other productions you may have seen. Perfect for a group of mates or the lone wolf looking for some chuckles, this is a musical theatre experience I won’t be forgetting anytime soon.
