This week I had the enormous pleasure of visiting the Belgrade theatre to see their latest production, In association with Exeter Northcott Theatre – Little Shop of Horrors!
As a massive fan of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, I snatched this opportunity up with both hands – another epic and iconic sci-fi B-movie musical for me to view and write about – what a treat! I’d only ever seen the film before, with that guy from Honey, I shrunk the kids… (I know I could Google it but I’m not going to.) And I remember loving it as a teenager, so I went straight in with high hopes.
One thing I really enjoyed was the use of set and lighting to create this odd and uncanny vibe! In Little Shop of Horrors, the lighting acts like a visual warning sign that gets more chaotic as the story goes on. At the start, Skid Row (where Seymour works as a florists assistant and grows his odd plants in the basement) is lit with dull lighting and everything seems a little bit ordinary… But as Seymour starts feeding Audrey II and it starts getting bigger, the lighting takes on this strange toxic neon green quality. (That’s how you know that things are getting crazy.) I think the lighting and the sound was really well done, and the set was beautifully rendered as always!
There were also really strong performances throughout, with some absolutely iconic songs delivered perfectly by the cast. There isn’t really much more that I can call out here actually… It was just a really solid performance all around and I was really impressed. 10/10!
At its heart, Little Shop is a cautionary tale about capitalism, temptation, and the corrupting nature of fame. Seymour isn’t a hero, and he’s not got a plan – he’s a desperate underdog who feeds human blood to his monstrous alien plant to gain status, money, and the love of Audrey. (Who the plant was named after!). It’s no wonder then, that this is a cult classic for many who love the subversive and weird. Not to mention there’s a camp and hilarious, masochistic dentist who I was absolutely enamoured with, obviously.
Little Shop of Horrors remains a masterclass in dark musical comedy, particularly for those who find comfort in the Gothic, classic sci-fi and over-the-top camp musical numbers. It’s a must-see if you haven’t already and perfect for Halloween! It runs at the Belgrade until 31st October.
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