Set in the grime and blue-collar charm of Skid Row, a struggling flower merchant, Mushnik, threatens to shut his doors after failing to sell his wares to the drunks and tramps which line his streets. But when his introvert shop assistant, Seymore, brings in a mysterious plant to work, Mushnik’s luck starts to change.
The nefarious and foul-mouthed plant, called Audrey II after an ill-fated girl to whom Seymore struggles to show his true feelings, becomes a nationwide phenomenon and changes the lives of the everyone it comes into contact with.
The visual effects were superb for a production crew of this size, with Audrey II swallowing up a huge part of the stage at one point and yet still managing to jerkily sing along to an upbeat rock ’n’ roll soundtrack – thanks to some brilliant manipulation work by Shaun Donald.
Special praise must also go to Audrey II’s voice actor, David Flitcroft, whose reverb-drenched, croaky tones suited the music to a tee. His interaction with the other cast member during the dialogue worked seamlessly and the whole effect of the plant worked very well.
The music, directed and conducted by Jennifer Daglish, was meticulously timed and the live musicians, in particular the keyboard players, did well to keep up with an often frantic score.
Beth McGarry, who plays Audrey, and Chris Simpson, playing Seymour, had a fantastic on-stage chemistry, both giving natural performances and pulling off the working-class American mannerisms and accents with aplomb.
Beth’s singing is outstanding and you can tell she is really loving the show as she is belting out the high notes. The whole cast sings their hearts out and, along with the orchestra, they make a rousing ensemble when it all comes together.
Alex Clark, playing Mushnik, and Aron Armstrong, playing Orin ‘The Dentist’ – Audrey’s thuggish boyfriend – were also impressive, pulling off commanding performances with great stage presence.
If there is one, slight improvement you could make it would be to tighten up the difficult harmonies which punctuate the songs, but I’m sure a crew with this level of talent will be able nail them in the coming nights.
Overall, this is a visual treat and a real labour of love from the whole crew, under the direction of Rachel Denwood.
The show, by the Whitehaven Theatre Group, runs every night until Saturday, at Egremont Market Hall at 7pm. For more information, call the market hall on 01946 820254.
Ben Graham
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