This well-known production is a fine example of a show that is relatively easy to direct. It is about a boy who falls in love with a girl, but adds a botanical sadist, a masochistic dentist, some colourful vagrants and is set around a struggling plant shop owned by a Jewish man.

As we entered the hall we walked into Skid Row. The set embraced the whole stage and was littered with vagrants, hobos and various others who lay about until the opening number "Little Shop of Horrors" where upon they readily sang to simple, efficient choreography by Jayne Elwell.

The music by Alan Menken is catchy and leaves you singing all the way home. The band played superbly and were a pleasure to listen to, capturing the mood of each piece. Next time, however, I would choose to sit further back, as they made the cast hard to hear at times.

I liked the archetypal bespectacled Seymour, played by Andrew Raine, and his ditsy blonde, Audrey, played by Julia Canning, who made a lovely job of singing my personal favourite "Suddenly Seymour". Both were comfortable in their stereotyped roles, singing well and keeping the show moving.

They were well supported by the Ronnettes played by Jenny Evans, Philly Lopez and Kat Short.

I particularly liked the way the programme was put together and the supportive links with the show. The section "Welcome to Skid Row" was a particular credit to the committee!

The large cast worked well together to perform an entertaining show that was musically sound and enjoyable to watch. The one suggestion I would make to enable others to enjoy the show to the full would be to look at sight lines. In the scene where we first meet Audrey 2, I had a table blocking my view, and felt that if she were on a raised platform, I would not have missed the initial feeding from Seymour.

A well-cast show, fun and frivolous and worth a look!

Karen Fletcher, 26.05.04