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SUre, it may be possible to reproduce Howard Ashman and Alan Menken’s 1982 masterpiece about the bleeding plant – which looks and sounds more “2026”. But the B-movie aesthetic (from Roger Corman’s 1960 film) is a big part of its charm, so why lose it?
Directed by Sarah Brigham Northern Stage and Derby theatre, this is a solid but not flashy production. For the most part, it enjoys a low-budget, low-budget story in which a mysterious bush turns the fortunes of Seymour, a florist who falls in love with his co-worker, Audrey. The genre is light on humor, and elements of the plot, such as Audrey’s domestic violence, are also toned down.
Where it is pioneering, however, is in its use of subtitles – a rarity in UK theatre. Narrator Ben Glover weaves them into the show’s canvas, making the play simple and fun, along with the creepy, horror-movie characters and vivid voices that appear on the screen behind the scene.
The big question with any species is how to plant Audrey II – a carnivorous plant that grows from a nose to a monstrosity. Here, the episode is split in two, with Tasha Dowd providing a lively voice from the stage and Ross Lennon acting as a puppeteer, directing Audrey II’s expanding foam head from within.
Elsewhere, other rock acts lend a New York sound to the likes of doo-wop and rock’n’roll, including Skid Row (Downtown) and Feed Me (Git It). Kristian Cunningham’s Seymour is a study of his 1986 screen partner (played by Rick Moranis) and Amena El-Kindy’s Audrey is more intelligent than Ellen Greene in the film. In their main group, Suddenly, Seymour, came out of their shame, each one releasing powerful pipes.
Designer Verity Quinn’s color palette is based on a carnivorous fly. The clothes, the walls of the flower shop and the back roads are all pink and green – a playful idea that the plant will surely win in its quest for world domination.
