Little Shop Of Horrors Review (Crucible Theatre, Sheffield)

30 December 2024 / 03 January 2025 I 19:15 I Crucible Theatre, Sheffield

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When it was announced that Amy Hodge's Little Shop Of Horrors would be produced at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre, we immediately booked two visits! This venue always promises an unconventional vision, utilising adaptation to defy audience preconceptions. Leaving the auditorium, I couldn't help but exclaim this is one of the best theatrical productions I have seen in my life. With Alan Menken's score already a favourite of mine, Hodge unleashes creativity in the material I didn't know existed. Daring to take a risk, this style accelerates terror and hilarity, providing an accessible angle for contemporary audiences.

Lovably awkward Seymour Krelborn is stuck in a rut, working in Skid Row's back street Florist shop. As fate would have it, a solar eclipse takes charge. An unusual plant catches Seymour's eye, affectionately naming it Audrey II after the woman he loves from afar. But as Audrey II gains a voice, this growing plant needs blood to survive, exploiting Seymour's greed to become unstoppable in this sci-fi comedy horror.

The original musical remains strong, though I always consider an anthropomorphic Audrey II to be a refreshing choice. It gifts the role a body, allowing a heightened menace through physical expression, opposed to a puppet. The artistry of this adaptation finds a multi-bodied plant, imposing as more and more performers 'become' the vines, engulfing the stage. Little Shop Of Horrors never typically includes an ensemble, though a physical theatre Audrey II is mesmerising. In early scenes, a large cast allows Skid Row to be animated and reflective of a wider struggling community.

Stepping into the sequined bodysuit of Audrey II, I was lucky to see both Sam Buttery and Jaz Terry fulfil this iconic villain. I hugely admire this empowering casting, with two trans women leading the role, especially with Buttery's androgynous costume and makeup (Georgia Lowe) resonating a punky, brash attitude. Her principal performance displays evident mastery, characterising Audrey II as unsettling and animalistic at times, a booming vocal confidence that is inherently commanding. Witnessing Terry's debut was a marvel, providing a seductive, diva energy which remarkably grounds Audrey II's petulance. Both deliver unique portrayals to the plant, which I immensely value.

Previous productions have a tendency to rely on music to carry the show, in which Chris Poon successfully leads divinely creepy orchestrations. Jade Hackett's choreography deserves high merits though, allowing the typically static, 'forgotten' songs to be equal showstoppers. The Meek Shall Inherit, to give example, swirling and entrapping in giant contracts, striking theatrical lifts, all while the Devil circulates. It is a feast for the imagination, and not one opportunity is missed to make this piece memorable.

Beginning with a circular shadow curtain, the title song is visually supported by silhouette work, foreshadowing the hysteria to follow. Like opening a story book, this is visually magnificent. All three Urchins (Charlotte Jaconelli, Lizzy-Rose Esin-Kelly & Paige Fenlon) carry the doo-wop material with immaculate rhythm. As a trio, their melodies blend so beautifully, you'll be begging for them to come back onstage!

I have so much admiration for Colin Ryan, truly an inspiring watch as a performer. As Seymour, it is easy to fall into overly performative awkwardness, yet Ryan acts with such a natural honesty in which you adore him tenfold. With a Birmingham accent, I really enjoyed his delivery, adding a warmth to the score. Audiences have been divided on the use of regional accents, and whilst Skid Row is an existing place in America, the location isn't substantial to the plot, thus welcoming these!

Georgina Onuorah tackles Audrey with a really gentle naivety, majorly impressed with her emotive outpour. Opposed to a dejection commonly associated with her songs, Onuorah achieves a hopefulness behind the eyes, a quaint happiness, through numbers including Somewhere That's Green and Suddenly Seymour. The half-smile is subtle, but it emotionally catches me off-guard, as for that split second, before she crashes down to Earth, the world is perfect. Paired with Jessica Hung Han Yun's dreamlike lighting states, a temporary paradise gives Audrey the freedom to escape.

I couldn't contain my elation with Wilf Scolding's Orin, an ultimately infectious laugh and presence! And when the dancing teeth come out in Dentist, it is peculiar yet uproariously funny! Swapping his motorbike for an electric scooter is witty, dealing him an immaturity that reduces his character for an antagonist. And although the entire cast is fiercely strong, Riley Woodford is an immediate standout as a Swing, yet again following Miss Saigon at this same venue. When a performer can make such an impression amongst a room of large personalities, he holds a magnetising effect, and I cannot wait to see more from him.

My favourite musical ever written, combined with my favourite regional venue, I had otherworldly expectations. And whilst I hadn't foreseen such a bohemian reconstruction of the show, Little Shop Of Horrors has claimed its well deserved sparkling glow up! As if you have blinked, and everything is clearer. Audrey II is the spectacular glue to this production, and with clever, spooky designs of murder, as well as subtle new orchestral additions, it is a shame that the Crucible Theatre cannot house this musical all year round. Just, in the meantime, don't feed the plants...