EUSOG has absolutely triumphed at living up to the legacy of one of the most jubilant musicals you’ll ever see, balancing outrageous camp fun with a dark cautionary tale.
Little Shop of Horrors has been a staple of the musical scene since 1982 and remains one of the best examples of musicals as such a bastion of camp culture, turning a night at the theatre into a party that demands you sing the lyrics to yourself for days after without compromising it’s dramatic plot exploring more mature themes.
The Edinburgh University Savoy Savoy Opera Group has absolutely triumphed at living up to the legacy, in every aspect they deliver, you’d struggle to really find anything worth criticising apart from maybe the lack of more shows!
The directors Amy Stinton and Tom Beazley have done a stupendous job. From the set design of Skid Row showing all the dirty stains, trash cans and scars of urban life to the contrasting little piece of greenery in the shop, it surpassed all expectations. Lighting throughout the show uses neon colours to create the otherworldly feeling of both horror and glamour that so much of the show’s titular villain personifies. The costume designer Eva Mortensen has absolutely gone out of her way to make sure that every outfit fleshes out and characterises the changing states of the characters as their story and seemingly amazingly good fortune develops then descends into madness..
Audrey Two’s costume is the magnum opus however. The camp aesthetics are fully embraced and Thaddeus Buttrey’s outfit comes out as glam, camp and drag as you could imagine filled with androgynous makeup and bright fishnets. He was a fan favourite and every time he emerged to talk to Seymour, you could feel the crowd trembling in excitement.
The acting all around was of a great standard and free from any of amateur dramatics one might expect from a university theatre society. Everyone was impressive and easily handled the blend of heavy underlying themes of greed, consumption and class while balancing that with the whimsical plot. Conor O’Cuinn is the best example of this, I fully expect to see him in professional shows. His range was exemplary handling all songs with supreme confidence and ease, selling us the transformation from shy gardener to the proclaimed creator behind and subsequent murderer of Audrey Two effortlessly. Thaddeus – who’s costume already stole every scene – continued to demand the spotlight every time he strutted around stage with a charisma and charm that almost hid the malice you’d expect in an evil plant dreaming of world domination. He fills the plant pot so effortlessly and every devilish grin and cry of “Feed me Seymour” will live rent free in your mind for days afterwards.
A special shout out must be given to Gemima Iseka-Bekano who while being only a supporting character as one of the urchins, has one of the best performances from standing on the sides of the scene to her breathtaking opening part at the start of “Downtown” (I muttered “Jesus” under my breath when she sung the second line), we need to see more of her.
The choreography in the dancing sequences is superb, only slightly held up by people’s dancing not always being perfectly synced up, but this is to be expected in an amateur production, and you can still make out the underlying choreography being brilliant, fusing the jazz and contemporary styles brilliantly.
There is talent oozing out of every corner of this show and you could mistake most of the leads for professionals, so I will be closely following the society to see what comes out. For its price point you’ll struggle to have a better time, and I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of both the cast and production in professional productions.
Reviewer: John Richardson