Little Shop of Horrors showed SUPAS at their strongest, in every dimension. Incredible actors, singers, musicians and technicians made this show an absolute joy to watch: don’t miss out.
Expert direction from Orlaith Day was appreciated in every scene, as the show was dynamic and endearing, with no moment feeling static or unsure. The choreography was also a highlight, done by Abby Lever: all the dancers seemed confident and sure of themselves, with the moves tightly rehearsed and capturing the essence of the show.
The acting and singing were all to an incredibly high standard. Tom Harvey and Lucy Thickett were monumental as Seymour and Audrey, portraying them both with the exaggeration that makes Little Shop such a hilarious musical. Both had amazing voices that were just lovely to listen to, and really made the characters their own. They were joined by Harvey Albaddous as Mushnik, their boss, who played the part with vigour and great physicality – although perhaps needed some more attention on his lines. It was Alicia Adeleye as Audrey II, the carnivorous plant, who truly stole the show, though: I cannot think of a better portrayal. Getting more stage time than customary, her poise and action were great and really contributed to the human portrayal of the plant, which was especially needed in the final act. Her voice had incredible range, and it was such a pleasure to watch her perform. The rest of the cast were all amazing too: there wasn’t a weaker link among them.
The band, too, absolutely shone in this production with hardly a note out of place. Directed by Coby Brown (who also played some excellent keys along with Assistant Musical Director Charlie Harmer) they were always on top of it: no weird pauses before the music kicked in, and they were always in time with the singers. As well as the keys, the two brass players Dan Law and Fraser Brown were also standouts. Genuinely incredible playing was seen from all, though – it was only 20 minutes in that I was reminded that the band was live, not a professional recorded soundtrack.
The technical elements were nicely done, but seemed like they could’ve been more ambitious. Most of the characters were well-costumed, especially Audrey II and Mushnik. I also liked Seymour’s act I outfit – less so the apple-patterned sweater vest for the second half. I feel they could’ve gone a lot further with Crystal, Chiffon and Ronette’s outfits, as well as Audrey II Crew: denim and black skirts can only go so far and felt a little disconnected from the rest of the show aesthetic. Again, the hair and make-up crew did a good job, but could’ve gone further with some of the designs, especially for Audrey II and her Crew. Sound and lighting were both nice, with some cool lighting ideas towards the end but mostly naturalistic. The biggest let-down for me was the lack of an actual on-stage Plant in the second half. The first three Audrey II models were great, especially the littlest one, hand-puppeted by Laavanya Nair and incredibly endearing. However, the final form of Audrey II – a sprawling, monstrous plant big enough to eat a person whole was nowhere to be seen, apparently hidden behind a purple curtain where Adeleye appeared from at times. The Plant is a difficult element to approach as a University performing arts society, but as the most iconic part of the show it was disappointing to not see it, and not having it onstage did affect the second half. They did attempt to make up for it with Adeleye and her Crew (Ffion Thomas, Laavanya Nair and Ammi Hunt) coming onstage for much of the second half, but many important plot moments felt clunky and contrived without an actual Plant there. Maybe this would’ve been less evident to someone less familiar with the material, though, and Day’s workarounds were still effective. Overall, Production Manager Jacob Harris headed a great team whose skills stood out in an incredible show.
SUPAS have, in conclusion, absolutely outdone themselves with Little Shop of Horrors. Hilarious, heartfelt and legendary, this musical was such a delight and I cannot overstate how impressed I was. It is absolutely imperative you see their final show tonight: it’s well worth the ticket.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
