Little Shop of Horrors, Dynamik Theatre Review

★ ★ ★ ★ .5

Reviewer - Roni

*Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review

As musicals go, we as an audience seem to have a real penchant for the dark and twisted ones. Sweeney Todd, Beetlejuice and yes, Little Shop of Horrors have recently been taking Broadway by storm, and UK audiences have been crying out for their revivals and premieres. For now, we’ll only be looking forward to seeing amateur productions, like this one from Dynamik Theatre group. Can they deliver a show that will whet our appetite for the macabre?

Little Shop of Horrors is the well-known 80’s rock musical that follows Seymour Krelborn, a worker at a Skid Row flower shop on the verge of closing. Whilst the owner, Mr Mushnik, worries about the finances, Seymour’s colleague Audrey is busy with her dentist boyfriend Orin, who in turn is very handy with his fists. Their luck changes, however, when Seymour discovers a new breed of plant that grows rapidly and captures a lot of attention for the shop. Business is booming, and Seymour may finally get the girl of his dreams when Audrey’s boyfriend mysteriously disappears. There’s just one problem: the Audrey Two needs a diet of human flesh.

For what it’s worth, this production has blown me away. The word ‘amateur’ hardly applies here, and this is from someone who counts Little Shop firmly amongst their favourite shows. Right from the top of the show, it’s clear that the vocals on display are exquisite across the board. Yasmeen Shaaban, Lauren Toney and Emma Neale as Crystal, Chiffon and Ronnette respectively are pitch perfect, and their harmonies are second to none. There’s some impressive musical direction at play here, so props to Callum Thompson for his work. The choreography throughout could use some work; luckily there aren’t many numbers that call for big dance sequences, ensuring this doesn’t really detract from the overall polished nature of the production. A big mention must go to the set and lighting design, which is some of the most effective and atmospheric staging I’ve ever seen in an amateur performance. A ‘real’ devouring Audrey Two adds to the authenticity and audience enjoyment massively, and is expertly operated by Mitch Brown.

Ollie Harper has everything you could possibly want from Seymour, delivering vulnerability and awkwardness alongside some ‘killer’ storytelling and vocals. His character acting is both believable and likeable, and has us rooting for Seymour (albeit in vain). Similarly, Annabel Pilcher gives a stunning performance as the long-suffering Audrey. Her New York accent is spot on, and her rendition of ‘Somewhere That’s Green’ had the audience mesmerised. Jack Higgins entertains as the veteran florist Mr Mushnik, earning plenty of laughs for his exasperated portrayal of a money hungry old man. Orin Scrivello is played by Ed Blann, who gives just the right amount of creepy to leave us feeling pretty disgusted by his demeanour and sleazy talk. A special mention to Ed for also covering 3 roles in the same song in the second act, including some impressive quick changes. Alex Wheatley also gives gorgeous voice to the murderous Audrey Two, providing us with some stunning sultry vocals and hilarious one liners.

Overall, this production felt almost as close to professional as you can get. With a cast full of stunning vocals and a set that feels as though it could have been lifted from a West End stage, it’s little wonder that the audience seem to be leaving highly impressed with what they have witnessed. It’s definitely worth a trip to Skid Row to catch this one, even if you’ll be tempted to throw away your plants afterwards.