Little Shop Of Horrors

2022 hasn’t been the best year for most theatre companies…. community or otherwise. But it has been a triumph for Spotlight, with hit after hit in its current season. The latest is the quirky cult classic Little Shop of Horrors, a favourite since its debut in 1982.

Under the talented and innovative direction of Jamie Watt, this production doesn’t feel like a forty-year-old show. It’s full of energy and original ideas, fine performances and an infectious comic style which plays against the darker underbelly of a show which is, when all is said and done, about an alien life form that feeds on blood and eats us alive. As usual, it’s the poorest, those on Skid Row, who are the most vulnerable. One can’t help making some subtle comparisons with some of our world leaders, past and present.

But Jamie goes for different subtleties in this production. The set - designed and built by the Director, and Clay English (another of Spotlight’s uber talented directors) - is masterful … a dismountable revolve which allows us to transition from shop interior to street exteriors in seconds, as is the use of projection for the very subtle transitions from day to night and from sun to rain. There’s even an elevated apartment and staircase where Audrey can descend from the heights she wants down to the street and Seymour, where she truly needs to be. That understanding of character – and the dilemma between one’s wants and needs - is rarely understood by any director and it’s another tick in the many boxes of Watt’s talents.

The cast is exemplary, most of them unknown to me but now indelibly etched in my mind. Benjamin Hambley gives a finely judged performance as Seymour. It’s a far more difficult role than it seems … a leading man who is a complete nerd with a questionable moral compass, who nevertheless must remain endearing and sing up a storm without displaying too much charisma. Fortunately, charisma and stage presence are two separate animals and Hambley uses the latter to pull focus from his natural charisma. He manages the balance beautifully.

The charismatic role in this show is that of dentist and villain (is that tautology?) Orin Scrivello D.D.S, and the multi-talented, devilishly handsome, physically impressive, Dean Giltinan plays the sadistic antagonist with great panache and just the slightest touch of melodrama villain. It’s a big performance in every respect, bordering on waaay OTT without crossing the line and Giltinan is an utter delight throughout.

If you want to see exactly how Audrey should be played, then look no further than Hannah Crowther. She owns the stage whenever she descends that staircase. A clear triple threat, she marries the dumb blonde persona with a subtle display of dignity and hope that stops her from appearing a weak victim, a balance which not every Audrey I’ve seen can pull off. Her rendition of “Suddenly Seymour” is the best I have ever heard – emotionally charged as it should be.

Rob K excels as Mr Mushnik, with a nice transition from downtrodden loser to greedy wannabe. It’s not a sympathetic role, but it is one that Rob makes entirely credible and understandable.

The three Divas sing up a storm and create individual recognisable characters, though we’re grateful that we don’t have to identify with them or the life they are trapped in. The Director has clearly spent time with his cast working on character and motivation, and it really pays off. The ensemble is as good as any you will see on a main stage, and Kudos to all of them. Add to this a truly memorable band under the direction of Peter Laughton, and it’s hard to see how this production could possibly be any better than it is.

But the biggest surprise, and the greatest challenge, of the night is Matt McKenzie as the alien plant life form Audrey 2. In other productions Audrey 2 is a puppet for the entire show - it just keeps getting bigger. McKenzie, however, has this amazing stage presence and brilliant vocal ability - it simply would be a theatrical sin to have him anonymously encased in a cartoon-like growing puppet. And so we see him and connect with him throughout the second act and his effect on us is hypnotic.

This may seem like a minor point, but it’s a huge directorial choice. Once you imbue an alien identified as a plant, with a human persona you open a can of worms both visually and in subtext for what is – at its heart – a morality tale. Audrey 2 is a huge man of colour - and a cannibal to boot - hardly politically correct on any level.  But this choice means that in the finale the victims who have been fed to Audrey do not become little offshoots of the plant, they become plants parasitically feeding on dead people…ie ZOMBIES! The finale number “Don’t Feed The Plants” looks like an out-take from Fear The Walking Dead. But does it work? Hell yes, it’s NOW, it’s inspired, it’s hilarious and terrifying at the same time. Some may see it as questionable. I thought it was brilliant. It does however, add an edge which may scare some younger kids.

Add to the mix Jamie Watt’s superb lighting plot, and fabulous costume design and execution by Pina Crisafulli Omeros and Nada “Red” Kulic, plus near perfect sound, and you have a very special show.

With its marvellous tribe of volunteers and its commitment to excellence, Spotlight continues to punch well above its weight on the Gold Coast.

Another Spotlight offering you must not miss.

Coral Drouyn