Slick Treats From This Shop
The Advertiser
THERE are few more delightfully perverse musical theatre treats than a trip to the Little Shop of Horrors and this year's AC Arts acting, design and technical production students have hilariously excelled themselves in a slick, highly professional production.
New York based guest director and alumnus Paul Peers has absolutely inspired top-notch performances, both on stage and behind the scenes. Fans of the 1986 film version will delight in the finger-snapping, Motown-inspired and doo-wop-drenched arrangements faithfully recreated by the six-piece band.
As nerdy flower shop assistant Seymour and his masochistic bimbo colleague Audrey, actors Simon McLoughlin and Romina Verdiglione manage to keep the key traits of their cinematic counterparts while giving their own, distinctive touches to the roles.
That's also because the stage version contains a plethora of additional songs - not to mention a much more dark, twisted and carnivorous second act.
Key to this are the wonderful puppets created by the design students for the ever-growing Audrey II - an alien plant with a taste for blood soulfully voiced by Jordan Cowan - that Seymour discovers during an eclipse.
The show is peppered with star turns. Patrick Clements brings so much Jewish schtick to his role as conniving shop owner Mr Mushnik that he could have walked straight out of Fiddler on the Roof.
David Andre has three over-thetop, scene-stealing character cameos. Jenn Havelberg's choreography is first-rate. Even Manda Webber's indoor/outdoor Skid Row set design is a multi-function masterpiece of simplicity.
reviewed by Patrick McDonlad
September 12th, 2012