★★★★★ Little Shop of Horrors
The Open Air Theatre in Regent’s Park is one of London’s joys in
the summer season – that’s assuming it doesn’t rain, although I did notice they
were selling plastic ponchos for £3! The glorious amphitheatre-type setting is
surrounded by trees which is cunningly appropriate for this year’s musical,
Little Shop of Horrors.
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| The Open Air Theatre stage |
Based on the low-budget 1960s black comedy film, Little Shop of
Horrors is a horror comedy rock musical about the misfits of Skid Row, where
life is full of broken dreams and dead ends. But there’s hope on the horizon
for hapless flower shop assistant, Seymour, when he discovers a mysterious new
plant with killer potential that feeds on human blood and flesh. Plainly
there’s more to the story but, with no spoilers here, suffice to say this is
one glorious camp romp of a show, where all that’s required of the audience is
just to sit back, relax and enjoy the ongoing, seriously green mayhem and fun
that surrounds you.
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| Marc Antolin and Jemima Rooper |
Written by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman in a musical style
firmly embedded in early 1960’s rock and roll, doo-wop and early Motown, the
score includes the notorious songs Skid Row, Somewhere That's Green, and the
cult classic, Suddenly, Seymour.
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| Vicky Vox |
Director Maria Aberg’s staging of the show is perfection,
especially in the beautiful Open Air theatre setting. With green as the overwhelming
colour du jour, Tom Scutt’s set and costume designs are overwhelmingly witty,
utterly inspired and gorgeously outrageous. When we come to meet Audrey 2, the
embodiment of the mutant plant, it is a coup de theatre, when American drag
star/actress Vicky Vox appears. Dressed in a symphony of pinks, blues and
greens and with more sequins than a good night on Strictly, she is a sheer
showstopper. How she manages to move around on such high-heeled pink-glittered
platform stilettos is a revelation! But hey, just keep feeding her and see her
grow and glow – this is one knock-out performance!
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| Matt Willis and Marc Antolin |
Jemima Rooper as Audrey and Marc Antolin as Seymour are the
perfect musical comedy love-match, and both give wonderfully captivating
performances, albeit there is a worryingly ruthless side to the seemingly kind
and generous Seymour. But my all-time, glow-in-the-dark five green stars must
go to the crazily brilliant performances – and there are plenty to choose from
– of Matt Willis. From demented, sadistic dentist to a series of quick-change,
quick-fire cameos, he is fascinating to watch, joyously funny and beyond evil too.
Little Shop of Horrors is, without a doubt, the best musical in
London this summer. If you haven’t seen it, just get down to Regents Park, come
rain or come shine, for the campest, most original, captivating lesson in
glittery-green horticulture ever!
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