Review: LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, Octagon Theatre Bolton - Tour

Photo credit: Pamela Raith

A new co-production from the New Wolsey Theatre, Octagon Theatre Bolton, Hull Truck Theatre, and Theatre By The Lake brings a new production of the sci-fi horror musical, Little Shop of Horrors. Having already played to audiences at the New Wolsey Theatre and Theatre By The Lake, the production makes its way to the next leg of the tour at the Octagon Theatre in Bolton.

For those who may be unfamiliar with Little Shop of Horrors, it is a musical adaptation of the 1960 film of the same title with a book and lyrics by Howard Ashman and music by Alan Menken (a duo also known for their collaboration on Disney’s Beauty and the Beast). Seymour, a clumsy florist’s assistant, has a hobby of collecting “strange and interesting” plants and discovers a new plant, which he names Audrey II after his colleague and crush, Audrey. As everyone becomes fascinated by this unusual new plant and the shop increases in popularity, Audrey II grows bigger and stronger as Seymour tends to the carnivorous plant’s bloodlust. When Seymour can no longer continue to feed the plant his own blood, he has to source victims as an alternative plant food, which brings the extra-terrestrial Audrey II closer to its goal of world domination. Can Seymour save Skid Row and the world before it’s too late?

This new production is directed by the Octagon Theatre’s Artistic Director Lotte Wakeham, and alongside Musical Director Livi Van Warmelo, they have created a fantastic version of the show that really utilises the actor-musician skills of the cast members. Van Warmelo is situated above the main stage area to conduct and play lead keyboard, along with drummer Migdalia Van Der Hoven. The rest of the score is performed by cast members Matthew Ganley, Matthew Heywood, Janna May, Zweyla Mitchell Dos Santos, Chardai Shaw, and Andrew Whitehead, who each alternate playing second keyboard, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, and tambourine. Together with the company’s vocals, all the actors and musicians really bring the electrifying and catchy 1960s pop/rock score to life.

Costume and set design both come from the creative brain of TK Hay. Hay has used levels, different flooring and set dressing as a simple yet very effective way of creating the story’s two primary locations: the florist interior and the Skid Row exterior. The design of the florist interior also includes a store front window and glass door to link the two primary locations together in a way that is logical and visually pleasing to ensure the smooth transition of onstage action taking place in either or both set locations. Lighting design by Nic Farman complements Hay’s set design to create the atmosphere in each location, but also really enhances the musical numbers of Audrey II by adding to the dramatic nature of the carnivorous plant’s character, as well as leaning into the sci-fi aspect of the show and accentuating Audrey II’s other-worldly aura.

Every single member of the performing company really does seem as though they have been perfectly cast into their roles, with each of them giving wondrously captivating performances, vocally and through their acting abilities. Specifically, Laura Jane Matthewson’s rendition of ‘Somewhere That’s Green’ is an exemplary example of acting-through-song that really strikes a chord with the audience. Oliver Mawdsley’s Seymour is also a true pleasure to watch, as every scene and song the lovable clumsy florist’s assistant appears in is enthralling, especially in the comedic moments of his story, but also in the darker and more sombre moments.

Without in any way diminishing the quality of performance by the rest of the company, it is fair to say that the star of the show is the infamous carnivorous plant, Audrey II. The various puppets used to show the growth of Audrey II, from the miniature plant the audience first sees to the giant man-eating monster it grows into, have been made by puppetry specialist Michael Fowkes, who was also the puppet director for the production. Bringing Audrey II to fruition really was a team effort, with Fowkes’ direction, Matthew Heywood’s puppetry skills, and Anton Stephans’ live vocals from backstage. Together, Heywood and Stephans have perfectly synchronised their performances, from Audrey II’s sassy characterisation to Heywood’s puppeteering matching Stephans’ glorious riffs.

A musical beloved by theatre fans for nearly four decades, Little Shop of Horrors has grown into this fantastic new actor-musician led production and has truly flourished. Ashman and Menken’s musical is excellently written, and the team behind this new co-production have built on top of that strong foundation to elevate the show to a new level with this lively and thrilling version.

***** Five stars

Reviewed by: Jess Dalloway

Head on down to Skid Row and catch Little Shop of Horrors until 18 May at Octagon Theatre in Bolton, or on its later tour dates at Hull Truck Theatre from 22 May – 8 June and the Theatre Royal Windsor from 18–22 June. For more info, please click here.