Little Shop of Horrors

Published Monday 4 December 2006 at 15:15 by Paul Vale

From the deafening opening chords matched with a startling blackout of the house lights, the audience knows they are in for a real treat. Director Matthew White has created a wholly new production and with award winning designer David Farley, the Chocolate Factory have once again created the perfect antidote to the saccharine sentimentality of your average Christmas show. The key element is fun and Ashman and Menken’s take on the Faust legend bursts with great tunes, hilarious comedy with more than a few surprises along the way.

Paul Keating as Seymour is a deceptively agile performer and you would have to be extremely hard hearted not to fall for his doomed anti-hero. Sheridan Smith as Audrey demonstrates severe signs of comic genius. Her performance provides the heart of the story, her timing is superb and her characterisation remains thoroughly believable throughout. Barry James provides class support as curmudgeon of a florist Mushnik and Jasper Britton provides real comic menace as the sadistic dentist.

A Greek chorus is provided by a trio of girls, Katie Kerr, Melitsa Nicola and Jenny Fitzpatrick who crank up the pace of the show, no little thanks to Lynne Page’s sharp, stacatto choreography and musical director Alan Berry’s firm hand on the orchestrations. Finally, there is the plant itself, an amazing new design slickly operated by the energetic Andy Heath and wickedly voiced by the irrepressible Mike McShane. Together they make a great team showing Beanstalks throughout the country what it really means to be a great vegetable on stage.