Theatre review
Duke of York’s Theatre, London

The evergreen love story about a man, a girl and a killer plant comes to the West End...

It's not easy to do sci fi on stage. It either comes across as pretentious, as Time and Metropolis did a couple of decades back, or just plain silly, like We Will Rock You. Very few musicals have got it right, but Bob Carlton’s Return to the Forbidden Planet is one, and Little Shop of Horrors is another.

For sheer verve and enjoyment, this new production is hard to beat. The songs are catchy, the jokes suitably corny, and there's one musical pun that has to be heard to be believed. The production makes much of its attempts at realism (within the confines of a story about a talking plant from outer space), and this certainly shows in Sheridan Smith’s performance as Audrey.

Whereas many actresses make this florist's assistant and battered girlfriend little more than a simpering Marilyn Monroe clone, Smith shows the heartache beneath, adding subtle and simple gestures as she fends off Seymour's attempts at intimacy.

Happily, Smith is just one of a fine ensemble. Unlike other productions of the show, no one is overshadowed by either Orin Scrivello DDS (a well-pitched performance by Alistair McGowan), or the famous plant itself (brilliant in its reimagined glory). The words could have been a bit clearer, but the cast deserved the standing ovation they received at this preview performance.

If you’ve only seen the movie, you might be surprised by the ending of Little Shop on stage, but don’t miss a chance to see it. Paul Simpson

VERDICT: 8/10
A blooming good show. Highly recommended.