Review: LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, Sheffield Crucible
Photo credit: Manuel Harlan
It is safe to say that this is unlike any Crucible Christmas musical you’ve ever seen before! It is also unlike any version of Little Shop of Horrors you’ve seen before. With a book and lyrics by Howard Ashman and music by Alan Menken, the show tells the story of Seymour, a nerdy botanist, who finds a strange plant and nurtures it, leading to rather morbid consequences.
Amy Hodge directs this production. She makes a lot of bold choices, some of which land well, others which don’t as much. Hodge directs all of her cast to perform with British accents – the reason for this is never explained in the show. It is a bit odd when some of the language in Ashman’s book is very Americanised (and hasn’t been changed here) and it means the audience never settle into the familiarity of the piece as you often do with such a cult classic. However, the way she creates the plant on stage, in collaboration with puppet designers and directors Daisy Beattie and Seb Mayer, set and costume designer Georgia Lowe and choreographer Jade Hackett, is truly wonderful and innovative – no spoilers here!
Georgia Lowe’s set is very stripped back – the usual glitz and glamour of a Crucible Christmas musical is nowhere to be seen here. The minimal set pieces we do see are effective in showing us the different locations though. Lowe’s costumes are also fairly simple, choosing to dress everyone in modern day clothes. Lowe’s costume design for Audrey II is excellent, bringing the plant to life perfectly.
As our ‘Greek chorus’ of urchins, Lizzy Rose Esin Kelly, Paige Fenlon and Charlotte Jaconelli do a fantastic job. They each have strong stage presence and deliver powerful vocals, adding their own slants to their songs. They have a great rapport, bouncing off each other well.
Colin Ryan is a wonderful Seymour, characterising him perfectly. He brings a lovely charm to the role whilst bringing Seymour’s moral struggles to life very well. His vocals are delightful, although the British accent perhaps prevents him from letting rip as much as you might like him to. Georgina Onuorah is lovely opposite Ryan as Audrey. She sings up a storm as audience will expect from her by now, blowing the roof off with ‘Suddenly Seymour’ and breaking the audience’s hearts with ‘Somewhere That’s Green’. Ryan and Onuorah have a believable chemistry, making certain events of the show incredibly moving.
Wilf Scolding gives a phenomenal performance as Orin (and other roles), singing the role very well. He’s a different Orin to any we’ve seen previously – he leans into the comedy of the role a lot more. The abusive way he treats Audrey still hits hard but during the dentist scene, we never fear for Seymour’s life as we have done in previous productions.
Sam Buttery is equally as phenomenal as Audrey II. She sings the role powerfully, bringing a fresh interpretation to the role in the way she characterises it. In Act Two, particularly with Buttery, the production leans into the horror aspect of the story. Where we may not have been afraid of Scolding’s Orin, we are most definitely afraid of what Buttery’s Audrey II could do next.
Little Shop of Horrors is a strange choice for the Crucible’s Christmas musical – there’s certainly no festive magic and warmth to be seen here. It’s a bold departure from previous productions of the show and whilst it feels jarring for a while, you still leave with a smile on your face having enjoyed this slightly bonkers musical, packed full of bangers from Ashman and Menken.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Jacob Bush
Little Shop of Horrors plays at Sheffield Crucible until 18 January 2025, with further info here.