Book and lyrics by Howard Ashman
Music by Alan Menken
Directed by Marty King
Dramatic Productions
Gungahlin Theatre, Gungahlin to October 26
Reviewed by Len Power 11 October 2024
A musical about a nerdy florist shop worker who raises a plant that becomes a man-eater, sounds like an unlikely choice for a musical, but this show has been an international success ever since opening off-Broadway in 1982.
Loosely based on a 1960 low budget black comedy film, The Little Shop Of Horrors, Alan Menken’s music in early 1960s rock and roll, doo-wop and early Motown style is matched with Howard Ashman’s clever book and lyrics to provide a show that satirises everything about that era.
This new production, directed by Marty King for Dramatic Productions, seems more interested in pushing the modern-day horror potential of the show rather than playing it for the satire inherent in the book, music and lyrics. It’s a dangerous step to take.
The prologue song that opens the show and sets the scene is sung by a girl trio, Crystal, Ronette and Chiffon. They become a type of Greek chorus throughout the show and should perform as a satire of doo-wop groups. In this show, the girls all sing well enough individually but there is no attempt to re-create that style.
The rest of the production plays out with no regard to the period it is supposed to be set in. It cannot be ignored as there are constant references in the lyrics about that period, amongst them Hedy Lamarr, Father Knows Best, Donna Reed, the Jack Paar Show and I Love Lucy.
Alexander Unikowski as Seymour Krelborn with the plant, Audrey II
Samara Marinelli sang strongly and effectively as the voice of the plant, Audrey II. Tim Stiles, as Mr Mushnik the florist shop owner, gave a good performance of the song, Mushnik and Son.
The wobbly set, designed by John Nicholls, seemed to have problems on opening night and needed more creative interest. The choreography by Laurenzy Chapman showed little understanding of the type of show and the man-eating plant by puppet designer, Alex Rogers, looked fine but its operation was a bit clunky.
The sound was much too loud and unbalanced, making it difficult to understand the lyrics. The opening number of the second act, Call Back In the Morning, was particularly unintelligible. The music was well-played by the orchestra, directed by Kat Tang.
The director’s choice to ignore the satire in this show resulted in the cast playing too broadly to try and make the script funny. Little Shop Of Horrors can be a delightfully funny show but this production was a disappointment.
Photo by Janelle McMenamin
This review was first published by Canberra CityNews digital edition on 12 October 2024.
Len Power's reviews are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 in the ‘Arts Cafe’ and ‘Arts About’ programs and published in his blog 'Just Power Writing' at https://justpowerwriting.blogspot.com/.
