Review: Little Shop of Horrors at Northern Stage

“The cast were phenomenal…”

Little Shop of Horrors by Howard Ashman, Northern Stage

By Lauren Powell

Little Shop of Horrors is hands down my favourite musical of all time. As a child watching the film version over and over again, I made all my friends watch it so often at least one of them started saying that she would only come over if we could watch something else.  I’m not sure if my obsession was a benefit to this performance or not, because comparing a musical stage show to a film isn’t really apples to apples, is it? 

Little Shop of Horrors, if you aren’t already familiar, is about a struggling florist who finds an alien plant that manipulates him down a dark path by granting him his heart’s desire in exchange for a little bit of blood. 

The cast were phenomenal. Kristian Cunningham played Seymour and his voice was amazing. Amena El-Kindy, playing Audrey, was enchanting and David Rankine as Orin, her evil dentist boyfriend, stole every scene he was in with his comedic menace. I do have a somewhat controversial opinion – one that my plus one and the friends we bumped into scoffed at me when I said it after the show: I didn’t like Audrey II’s voice. Maybe it was that I was expecting a deep male voice or maybe it was the delivery it was just not doing it for me. It’s probably my preconceived ideas and I’m being a bit set in my expectations. What is certain is that voice actor Tasha Dowd made the role their own, without a doubt, but the voice just didn’t mesh for me.

The set was very straightforward. It had various multi-levels to give the impression of those cool New York fire escapes and the effect was very sparing – which I think was such a clever choice, as it really pulled the focus towards the Audrey II puppet as time went on. 

Do be aware – if you’re a fan of the film version like me – that there are some differences between the movie and the stage production. There are a few songs that aren’t in the film and the ending is very different – which I absolutely loved! I won’t spoil it for you, but the final song, Don’t Feed the Plants, was my favourite moment of the whole play. 

Little Shop of Horrors lived up to my expectations for sure. If you’re thinking of taking your older kids I’d say beware – you might spark a new obsession in them and you’ll have to spend your weekends at the garden centre listening to doo wop and avoiding the dentist. Personally, I loved the nostalgia it made me feel, but I envy everyone who sees this production as their first exposure to the show.

Little Shop of Horrors plays at Northern Stage until Saturday 23 May. Tickets are available here.

Lauren Powell is a recovering academic from the North East of England. Currently residing in South Shields with her partner and two malevolent gerbils. Lauren is a short form writer who writes fiction as well as reviews. She has loved the theatre since childhood, and many years ago volunteered back stage with an amateur group, Stage Focus.  From one man readings to musical and beyond, Lauren can not get enough! You can find her on Twitter/X here.