Little Shop of Horrors at Redgrave Theatre - Review

Posted on: 2018-06-01

Our rating:

Despite the impressive acting of the entire cast, the real star of the show was Audrey II, voiced by the incredible Ava Mannings, and brought to life by the puppetry skills of Chris Hobbs and Finch Talbot-Ponsonby.


The last time I saw a stage version of Little Shop of Horrors I was 13 years old and watching my friends performing in our school end of year production. I remember being thrilled then, overwhelmed by the songs, colourful language and of course the giant man-eating plant. Almost 30 years on I was equally as dazzled by the performances of another bunch of young performers, this time from Bristol Amateur Operatic Society (BAOS) with their amusing and original staging of this quirky and slightly disturbing tale.

***Showing until Saturday 2nd June - Get Tickets Here***

Little Shop of Horrors by BAOS - photos by Stewart Mcpherson Photography

A 1980s comedy, rock horror musical, the story has flourished over the years, not least once it was turned into an iconic movie starring Rock Moranis in 1986. Somewhat bizarrely given their later collaborations, the show was created by the writing pair behind Disney’s Aladdin and The Little Mermaid. Their significant talent is on display throughout, as despite an oddball storyline revolving around alien plants, a good old-fashioned love story and somewhat disturbing foray into the aftermath of domestic violence, the tale is given a light-hearted touch and is fun to watch, with characters you care about and a fabulous score that draws the narrative on. The well-known and loved songs include ‘Somewhere That’s Green’, 'Suddenly Seymour’ and ‘Feed Me’, all musical theatre classics that are beautifully performed by this talented young cast.

 

In the lead role of Seymour, Jonathan Ainsworth is well cast. Perfect as the bumbling geek, he shows off his undoubted comic timing as well as showcasing his serious acting skills in the more emotional scenes with Audrey. As Audrey, Maddie Walker is fantastic. Embodying the character completely, she brings the vulnerable, ditzy blonde to glorious life. She is in equal measure funny and sentimental and shows off a great singing voice. Both deal with the rapid changes from comedy to deep sincerity -and back again- with aplomb, never losing sight of their character and pulling off some pretty challenging musical numbers along the way.

 

In the flamboyant role of Orin, Audrey’s abusive boyfriend, Jack Walker is great to watch. Strutting around the stage with an overt sleaziness and bubbling undercurrent of instability and unpredictability, he fully embraces the role of the sadistic dentist.

Little Shop of Horrors by BAOS - photos by Stewart Mcpherson Photography

Jack Blackmore rounds out the leads in the role of Seymour’s father figure, Mushnik. He gives a solid performance as the self-interested character, and really comes alive during his song and dance duet with Seymour.The leads are supported by a ‘Greek chorus’ style singing group -Molly Barrett, Gemma Walker, Evie Long, Callie Broadbear, Emma Jones and Josie Smith- who provide some cracking harmonies and show off some snazzy choreography that keeps the show slick and vibrant.

 

Despite the impressive acting of the entire cast, the real star of the show was Audrey II, voiced by the incredible Ava Mannings, and brought to life by the puppetry skills of Chris Hobbs and Finch Talbot-Ponsonby. The whole audience were entranced by the giant alien plant, that felt very real and took over every scene it was in.

 

Fun, lively and just a little gruesome, this is a show that does not take itself too seriously and is a really entertaining couple of hours. Showing at The Redgrave Theatre until 2nd June, this tale of nerdy orphan Seymour and his battle of wills with an alien Venus-Fly trap is well worth the trip to Clifton.

 

5/5 by Sarah-Jane Howard

Photos courtesy of Stewart Mcpherson Photography



Article by:

Sarah-Jane Howard

Sarah-Jane is an aficionado of film, theatre, culture and the arts. A voracious reader and avid crafter, she can be found volunteering her face painting talents at Bristol Zoo when she's not cementing her reputation as Coalpit Heath’s cake maker extraordinaire. Known to have an opinion on everything she’s never happier than when sharing these with the good folk of Bristol!