If a giant man-eating plant from outer space and a sado-masochistic, nitrous-oxide-sniffing dentist seem a little outside the character realm of the serious musical, then that’s because they are. But they’re right at home as central characters in Little Shop of Horrors, which is not at all serious…
And if there was ever a show to showcase just how good Adamson Theatre Company productions at St Kilda Road have become, then last month’s Senior School production of ‘Little Shop’ is surely it. The vibrant grittiness of the Skid Row set provided the perfect backdrop for the joyous energy of the performers as they belted out the songs and danced their hearts out. With its sci-fi-schlock-horror-B-movie sensibility and its catchy 60s doo-wop score, this show was great fun for performer and audience alike.
‘Every song has something different and beautiful to offer, and it has been so enjoyable to perform them with such a talented cast,’ said Eleni (Year 12), who shared the role of Audrey with fellow Year 12 performer, Lily (the show was double cast). ‘I loved having the opportunity to be completely vulnerable and emotionally raw in my main Act I solo with ‘Somewhere that’s green’, then contrasting this with an uplifting and powerful duet in Act II with ‘Suddenly Seymour’.
Year 11 student Mattie shared the role of Seymour, Audrey’s love interest, with Year 12 student Theo, playing him with lovable goofiness. ‘It was an amazing feeling hearing the audience laugh at a lot of what I did on stage. It made every second I spent rehearsing worth it,’ he said.
Then there’s the character who looms increasingly large in the show: Audrey II, the burgeoning plant with a taste for human blood. Animating the leafy monster was a team effort by Year 11 students Ethan and Jack, who alternated shows as either Audrey II’s voice or as puppeteer. It was a challenge.
‘As the puppeteer, you actually can't hear that much while inside the plant, so you're keeping time during songs and puppeteering where you'd expect speech to be,’ said Ethan. ‘And as Audrey II’s voice, with no physical acting, you had to consciously think about how you're sounding. It was a lot of fun to play around with vocal inflection and characterisation.’
Fun was the operative word for this show. The performance energy of the opening number was irresistible, and it never let up. What a treat!
