The Robinson Theatre at Hills Road Sixth Form College is not a venue that one would think suitable for a show like The Little Shop of Horrors.  Nevertheless this is where Festival Players chose to perform the show and it worked extremely well in the space, with a clever set using two-thirds of the acting area leaving room for the skilful ‘band’, led by Musical Director Andrew Taylor, to be in full view yet seemingly unobtrusive.

The plot, as you probably know, revolves around Seymour, a nerdy, timid employee in Mushnik's, a skid row flower shop, who takes great pains to care for a hybrid plant of his own creation, which he names Audrey II, as his heart belongs to his work colleague Audrey whose masochistic bent keeps her in emotional bondage to Orin a sadistic laughing gas-addicted dentist.

To bullying shop keeper Mushnik's delight, business picks up as the plant grows and draws attention from the paying public. But what price fame and fortune when Seymour discovers that the plant needs human blood to survive?  

Enter the odious Orin, every child's nightmare of a dentist -- he inhales the laughing gas himself before torturing his charges with a dull drill. That's not to mention the black eye he gives to his girlfriend Audrey -- which an oblivious Seymour mistakes for "nice, new eye makeup”.  Seymour decides that if anyone deserves to be plant fodder it is Orin! And that is just the beginning of The Plant’s insatiable hunger for human blood. 

Colin Fish was marvellous as the bully Mushnik, particularly when he realises he needs Seymour as his plant causes business to bloom so he ‘adopts’ Seymour leading to the highly amusing song and dance "Mushnik and Son" 

Mark Bak as Orin threw himself into his role with both abandon and, seemingly, great enjoyment. His shared duet with Seymour "Now (It's Just the Gas)" in the dental surgery was absolutely macabre and probably gave some of the younger members of the audience bad dreams that night!

Sporting a real life injury caused, I understand, by the people-eating plant at the dress rehearsal - but which was totally in keeping with the script: Davinia Denham was delightful as the cheap and flashy Audrey keeping her really irritating voice going throughout.  Her delightful humourous yet plaintive duet with Seymour in "Suddenly, Seymour" was, for me, a highlight of the show.

Thomas O’Connor was well cast and did a tremendous job of Seymour.  Maintaining his focus throughout.  He was the perfect foil for Mushnik, created a wonderfully bumbling relationship with Audrey and was extremely funny when endeavouring to shoot Orin. 

The leads were skilfully backed by Lea Chambers, Rachel Bye, and Melody White as Ronnette, Crystal and Chiffon -- three girls who help the story along by breaking into song at appropriate intervals. Excellent singers all.  Great to listen to and a pleasure to watch.  Completing the ‘human’ cast was Jenni French playing a variety of roles in a variety of costumes all totally believable.

Of course, the scene-stealer is naturally The Plant.  Here I got a shock.  Director Sue Emerson decided to play down the comedic and go for B movie horror.  I was expecting the usual enormous puppet and what did I get? Oliver Fisher as a real man-eating plant.  He was truly scary.  Although rooted to the spot he used his voice and upper body to bring to life Seymour’s hybrid plant.  An excellent performance. 

This was a relatively small cast by Festival Players’ standards, but they weren’t small on talent by any means.  The acting and singing were excellent.  This review would not be complete without complimenting Mike Ruddin, Rob Humphreys and the other members of the Penguin Club who created such a grotesquely horrible plant.  Congratulations to all involved on a great show.