Brisbane Reviews

ALIVE theatre. There is nothing like it. And that, by the way, is not a typo. Witnessing opening night of Little Shop of Horrors at the Cremorne Theatre, QPAC, we were amongst it all unfolding. Dress-ups filtering through the foyer: the show had begun before the curtain went up. Enthusiasm from the get-go. "Wear something green" was the mantra of the evening, and wow, I was green with envy. 

Full house and the diverse audience were hungry for their fix of talent, music and overwhelment, if there is such a word! I took note of the warnings that some of the content might be challenging and to quote the We Care card (how times have changed, and how times have not changed), "the themes explored in Little Shop of Horrors are sensitive and may hit close to home ... we love that art has the capacity to amplify important questions, stories and messages ..." Never a truer word spoken. The audience were one breathing unit and we all held hands with the actors.

The scene is set and the show begins with the multi-talented trifecta of Crystal (Kimberley Hodgson), Ronette (Anna Francesca Armenia) and Chiffon (Nykita O'Keefe) belting out Little Shop (prologue) to a burgeoning insatiable audience. Won us over in one 'foul' swoop and whet our appetites for Skid Row and such one-liners as "split-shift school – we went to school then we split." Also introducing such characters, and their traits, we all know and either love or hate. Or love to hate, as the show unfolds (slapstick days of not so long ago). "Is that new eye make-up?" introducing the fabulous talent of Audrey (Kirby Burgess) who mesmerised the audience and had moments of pure bliss in her dreams and aspirations in Somewhere That's Green and Act II Suddenly Seymour. You could hear a pin drop. I kept looking around to the full house (being in the second row was certainly a bonus) and seeing a smile on every dial.

Issues addressed with humour, love and music. Seymour (Maxwell Simon) take a bow, wow, you certainly nailed it. A gorgeous 'quadruple-threat' (sing, dance, act and comic timing to set your clock by) portrays every emotion conceivable whilst Mr Mushnik (Bryan Proberts, you are AMAZING) garners a laugh at every syllable. Holding your breath made the audience hold their breath! Laughing never stopped and Mushnik & Son was a trip of its own! Nitrous-oxide bad dude, or Orin Scrivello, DDS, with your multi-roles and comedic timing (Stephen Hirst, you put me off dentistry for life – hang on, I was already there!) with one-liners ("Leader of the plaque" – I nearly fell off my perch) and so many characters we all know and despise – you held the audience in the palm of your rusty-drilled hand. 

The comedic timing of Audrey2, and the interaction between plant and blood was a laugh a minute and the audience sucked it up. The pot plant that grows on you. Credit to Matthew McKenzie (Audrey2s voice) and Charles Ball (Puppeteer) – gobsmackingly talented.

Timeless music by Howard Ashman (Book and Lyrics) and Alan Menken (music) – it was hard not to sing along and even harder not to get up and dance. The band beating out the brilliance in perfect synchronicity (Annie Silva, David Whittingham, Luke Volker and Steve Fischer). We couldn't see you but we surely heard you – bravo!

Alister Smith, Director, is sympatico with Feeding the Dream and to paraphrase:
"In realising this production I wanted to lean hard into the Faustian tale, not only for our hero Seymour but for the broken world that shaped him ...  Little Shop takes that idea and plants it in Skid Row. Seyour and Audrey are tender, hopeful souls who have been told their whole lives that they are small. They cling to their dreams as if they are the only light in the room. Their tragedy is not born of greed. It comes from being starved of dignity, love, and opportunity." 

This show is a roller-coaster of emotions, themes, music, choreography, lighting and all that makes theatre such a JOY. Last scene, last song and standing ovation from the pumped audience, thrilled to have been a part of the whole. Everyone was singing along. Clapping, screaming and thoroughly immersed. You can't ask for better than that. Little Shop of Horrors delivers on so many levels. A show not to be missed!