If there was any show worthy of marking our first time at Hull Truck, it would be this one. Little Shop of Horrors has landed in Hull for its highly-anticipated two-week stint, a co-production with New Wolsey Theatre, Theatre By The Lake and Octagon Theatre Bolton.
A faithful reproduction of the classic stage show, fans of the 1986 movie adaptation ought to cast all expectations aside for this show – because this isn’t your watered-down Hollywood romance. This is a mean, green, blood-thirsty ride that you most certainly need to buckle up for.
Upon walking into the theatre, we were greeted by the innovative set of Mushnik’s florist (the beating heart of the story) – which, standing on the thrust stage at Hull Truck, immediately immerses audiences into New York’s Skid Row – dumpsters in tow.
The theatre itself (with special thanks to its thrust-style stage) is incredibly intimate, with all seating curving around the floor-level stage, allowing you to see every emotion on the actor’s face and really feel the performance in a way unlike the larger, grander theatres. But the main reason for this performance feeling so ‘extra special’? The casting.
Just a short while into the show, we came to love this cast far more than we loved Rick Moranis as Seymour and Steve Martin as Orin. In fact, Oliver Mawdsley embodied the loveable, clumsy Seymour – masterfully connecting with the show’s puppet version of Audrey Two.
Mawdsley’s performance, paired with Anton Stephan‘s voicework as Twoey, added a whole new level to the deadly duo’s relationship, with Stephan’s charming approach to the bloodthirsty plant becoming our favourite Audrey Two performance of all time. It’s not easy to personify a puppet plant, but Stephan’s performance had us rolling in our seats laughing – comedically timed to perfection with the on-stage goings-ons, adding bags of unexpected humour to an otherwise dark and sinister plotline.
Another stand-out performance for us was Matthew Ganley‘s Orin. Played by Steve Martin in the movie, Ganley’s Orin is even more ridiculous and over-the-top than Martin’s, making his character arc an incredibly fulfilling one for the audience. Ganley holds the cards close to his chest upon introduction, building up the reveal of Orin’s backstory expertly in the song Dentist – the result being the most satisfying of chortles from the crowd, before Ganley truly unleashes the laughing-gas-fuelled maniac within.
Fans can expect to hear the full soundtrack throughout the show, notably Stephan’s rendition of Feed Me and Mean, Green Mother From Outerspace (both marking pivotal moments in the show), and the beloved Suddenly Seymour, which Laura Jane Matthewson‘s Audrey delivers with bags of power, emotion and chemistry with castmate Mawdsley.
So, why should you see this show? Little Shop of Horrors evoked every emotion inside of us – full belly laughs, surprise, despair. We felt it all. And while the story was familiar to us already, the show had us on the edge of our seats for its two-hour runtime, making it feel like the story was being told for the first time ever. Ending in a standing ovation from the entire audience, need we say more about how great this production is?
Little Shop of Horrors is at Hull Truck until 8th June, and tickets are available here.
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