Little Shop of Horrors (Dramatic Productions) - Review
Tonight, I had the pleasure of watching Dramatic Productions’… er, production, of Little Shop of Horrors. I had such a blast, and enjoyed it so heavily, that I decided to jot down all me thoughts about it here. I may do this for every show I see from here on out, but no promises. I do like to yap.
Director Marty King and his team have produced a fantastic rendition of Little Shop of Horrors that I absolutely loved to see. Switching out the doo-wop of the early 60s to the grungy, pulpy, litter-plastered 80s, the show’s premise and inherent camp shine through in a new, neon-fashioned light, emphasising new aspects and complimenting others. It is a show that demands you meet it at its level, lest you miss the point and forget to have the fun (*cough cough*).
It’s clear from King’s use of a picture of Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi in a behind-the-scenes photo on the set of “Evil Dead”, in absence of the typical Headshot of most programs, that he has let the camp 80s horror flicks we all know and love influence his vision. The unique opening of the show through the use of on stage CRT TVs and clever voiceover makes the audience comfortable in their new 80s environment, and the rest of it runs like clockwork. The wobbliness of practical effects, the hammy-ness of the actors clearly having a ball, and the utilisation of visceral practical effects all scream of a love of the 80s monster flick, and it is one that I HEAVILY enjoyed.
Forgive me if I sound like an idiot here, I know nothing of music or MD intent, but Kat Tang and her 5-manned band bashed out the tunes in a slightly tinkered manner befitting the show’s new era, with some sneaky instrument changes here and there that had me utterly sold. It’s a testament to both the music writing and Tang’s sense, in tandem with King’s vision, that the boo-wop 60s tunes meld so well in the new setting. Organising a band to play this music is hard; translating that music into a different time is even harder, and Tang delivers.
Laurenzy Chapman embraces the fun of King’s new landscape, and allows the cast to engage in some fun chore that gets the crowd hooting and hollering. The choreography is also funny when it needs to be, an example being the slapstick extraordinaire that is “Mushnick and Son”. The minimal casting requirements make this a difficult show to choreograph on a larger scale, but the added cast, and the exceptional movers of the central seven, gave Chapman the tools she needed to craft some extraordinarily fun movement.
Onto that cast we go. Hoo boy, I got praise to sing.
Alexander Unikowski is the perfect Seymour, be it this setting or any. From first sight, he embodies the character thoroughly, leaving not a crumb of himself on the stage. He sings beautifully the many highs, capturing a range of emotions through song and speech. He wields total bodily control with deliberate character movement that never feels too stiff, nor too fluid. He establishes himself as a phenomenal character actor, which is just another feather in his already packed cap.
Sarah Copley is a stunner as Audrey. Her rendition of “Somewhere That’s Green” slowly had be blubbering like a baby, even after her exceptional comedic timing had me cackling. She plays Audrey with exceptional tenderness, yet doesn’t shy away from snagging well-earned laughs.
Tim Stiles’ Mr. Mushnick appears to have ditched a lot of the characters eccentricity in favour of a more “fed up” Jersey businessman who’s grown weary of the peonies. He helps balance out the energy a bit, his laid back, resigned nature in the face of financial strife almost hilarious at points. He gets his chance to be a bit more hammy with the character in Act II, and when he does, it’s an utter treat to see.
Bradley McDowell’s turn as Orin Scrivello was as pleasantly surprising as it was scene stealing. Evoking an almost David Bowie-esque Goblin King, with a bit of awful cockney charm evoked by the likes of Depp in Sweeney Todd, this new form for the Dentist is a welcomingly out there take that had me in throes. His numerous side characters each took their turns snatching up laughs, his sardonic janitor and puppeteered passerby in particular absolutely SLAUGHTERING me with fits of the giggles.
Valeria Arciniega, Abigail Dunn, and Tahlia Hanikeri as the fateful trio had a lot more cheek and sass to them, befitting of the developing societal attitudes the 80s brought in their wake. The fun they had on stage is fun shared with the audience, and they had their fair share of impressive vocal displays that had me wowed.
Samara Marinelli takes Audrey II and reimagines the monstrous plant, in conjunction with every other influence, as a seducing siren, reminiscent of queens of horror along the ranks of Elvira. Marinelli clearly has fun with every line, giving us an Audrey II that differs greatly from any I’ve seen before, and in a good way; fresh interpretations have their place in theatre, and Marinelli’s exploitive, cutesy female tone fit the character of Twoey to a tee.
On the topic of the plant; the ensemble work tirelessly to puppeteer this absolute BEAST of a creation, ensuring the personality and charm of Marinelli’s performance is properly conveyed in the physical realm. The plant’s design is utterly gobsmacking and fittingly practical, right at home with the show’s vibe. The early sound design in particular evokes an almost “Killer Klowns From Outer Space” brand of tone that absolutely completed the picture for me. The sound designer responsible for those early, inhuman whimpers needs to be given a medal.
The lighting was cleverly staged and atmospherically appropriate: the green humming ceiling lights, accompanied by the cold pink and purple stage lighting, were particularly fun choices that made the show stand out tonally. There was also some fun spotlight moments, especially in “Skid Row (Downtown)”, with a snappy spotlight on Seymour’s introduction that made me mouth the word “nice”.
The set design was simple, yet effective. There was a bit of wobbliness, but nothing more than to a nitpicky degree. There was plenty of room for actors to play without it feeling barren, and the effectiveness of Audrey II’s transformation was owed to its ability to hide scene changes from the audience without hindering the pace.
That about covers it. Dramatic Productions’ Little Shop of Horrors was a blast. Yes, I’m sure many have their complaints. Believe me, I have some critiques I could offer. But I think it’s always been a more effective use of time to highlight the things you enjoy about someone else’s art, and to encourage them to continue. This show’s flaws were heavily outweighed by the things it did right, and no matter those shortcomings, the only thing that matters is this: the audience had fun, I had way too much fun, and the cast and team sure as shit had their fun. 80s pulp sure was rife and thriving in King and co’s Little Shop.
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