The Archives: Little Shop the First

Little Shop of Horrors

4^th July 2009 at the Little Theatre, Leicester

Cast

Seymour Krelborn … Mark Webb

Audrey … Victoria Nettleton

Orin Scrivello … Tom MacAuley

Mr. Mushnik … Neil Mason

Audrey II … Paul Beasley/James Watson

Crystal … Ria Turner

Ronette … Josie Tweddle

Chiffon … Sophie Bryant

Customers … Martin Bell

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As with Sweeney Todd, this was a production I'd been wanting to see ever since I watched the film, and as with Sweeeny Todd the opportunity was proved for me by the Little Theatre in Leicester. So once again, my sister and I made our way down, sat back and enjoyed the show.

Certianly an unconventional musical, the characters in Little Shop of Horrors must as a given, be good singers, but also must have the necessary balance of comic timing and (with the two leads) be able to generate the necessary amount of sympathy. This was not a problem for the cast of the Little Theatre production, Mark Webb and Victoria Nettleton made me wish that the film's happy ending had been retained, their tragic ends generating a great deal of sympathy (but unfortunately some laughter), while the supporting cast settle into their roles quite well, Tom MacAuley's Orin resembling something of a washed-up Elvis Presley impersonator while Neil Mason's Jewish stereotype of Mushnik went so far round the corner it became funny again, those his character's accent made his song difficult to understand at times. I would, later that year, witness a larger scale touring production of the show at the Curve, the jury is still out as to which one was better...

Theatre Notes

• Paul Beasley was the assitant director during my time at the Little Theatre's workshop, who I also auditioned for in Carrie's War (I didn't get it).
• Martin Bell would later appear in the Little Theatre's production of 'The Rain Maker' as Bill Starbuck.