Little Shop of Horrors at the Waterside Theatre Aylesbury Review
Little Shop of Horrors
Waterside Theatre, Aylesbury
13-17 September 2016
Reviewed by Sharon Mongey
It was my pleasure to go to see The Little Shop of Horrors at the Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury on Tuesday night with my 13 year old daughter.
The Aylesbury Waterside is a modern style theatre, it is very impressive looking from the outside and the inside did not disappoint. I loved the ambience in this theatre. There was a car park opposite with a small fee to pay (there is a charge until 9pm). Staff were as usual very welcoming and the toilets were clean and tidy. We were told that Rhydian Roberts who was playing ‘Orin’ (The Dentist) was unwell and his part tonight would be played by Josh Wilmott.
We were shown to our seats inside the auditorium by a pleasant lady. On previous visits I have found it too warm but tonight it felt slightly cooler, considering how hot it was outside it was a blessing. The stage set was impressive and the sound of rain filled the auditorium enhancing the scene that was set.
The Little Shop of Horrors tells the story of Mushniks’ florist shop on Skid Row, a rundown neighbourhood with very little prospects. Here we meet Mushnik (Paul Kissaun) the owner, Audrey (Stephanie Clift) and Seymour (Sam Lupton) who are the assistants. Times are hard, Mushnik decides that it is time to throw in the towel and give up his shop; Audrey is not ready to see him do this and convinces Seymour to show him his new and unusual plant. This takes pride of place in the window and attracts a lot of attention; Seymour becomes an overnight celebrity, and discovers that his plant is hungry for more than just water. ‘Feed Me’ sings the plant that has been named Audrey 2 and Seymour discovers that the only thing to satisfy the plants hunger is blood!
Seymour looks for ways to continue to satisfy Audrey 2’s greed and turns his attention to Audrey’s abusive boyfriend Orin (Josh Wilmott) the dentist who just loves to inflict pain.
The only scene change is where they take you from street to inside the shop it is very well done and each time a growth in the plant can be seen.
The small cast includes a trio of girls Sasha Latoya, Vanessa Fisher and Cassie Clare who sing and dance throughout, opening the show with the ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ song, we thought they were amazing. Other songs included ‘Skid Row’ and ‘Suddenly Seymour’ were delivered confidently, I loved Stephanie Clift’s performance of ‘Somewhere Green’ it pulled at your heart strings.
I wondered how a musical about a blood thirsty plant could work. Having watched the performance found it did albeit a little bizarre.
The impressive vocal performances by the entire cast made for a great show. A special mention goes to Josh Wilmott who gave a sterling performance.
In my opinion not a show for a very young audience, but great fun.
Rating: 4/5
Tickets cost from £17.90 to £42.90 (plus £2.85 transaction fee).
Little Shop of Horrors is at the Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury until 17 September 2016. For more information or to book tickets click here or call the box office on 0844 871 7607.
Waterside Theatre, Exchange Street, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP20 1UG | 0844 871 7607
