Delightfully camp revival of Off Broadway classic brings both darkness and comedy to the stage.

For anyone who’s ever owned or cared for a plant, you’ll know that many of them can be incredibly picky or particular about their food sources. But when it comes to carnivorous plants, it’s a whole other ball game, when you have to actively hunt down and provide live insects fo them to satisfy their hunger. And for over 30 years since it first premiered off-Broadway, one plant has continued to be the bane and joy of musical theatre aficionados everywhere: the man-eating Audrey II from Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s Little Shop of Horrors.

In local company Sing’theatre’s newest production of the classic musical, Audrey II has returned to terrorise a new generation of audiences, with director TJ Taylor helming this staging. Set in New York City’s rough Skid Row neighbourhood, Little Shop of Horrors centres on Mushnik’s Flower Shop, a struggling florist where shy, experimental botanist Seymour (Andrew Marko) works. But when he sets up an unusual plant in the window display, named after his crush and co-worker Audrey (Vanessa Kee), business begins to flourish, and Seymour finds unprecedented fame and success. But there’s one catch – Audrey II needs one thing and one thing only to grow well: human flesh.

Little Shop of Horrors takes on what is essentially a deal with the devil type storyline, where Seymour must continue to find prey to feed to the ever-hungry plant, his morality waning with each subsequent victim while his star continues to rise. But what makes this such an endearing work that transcends time is its relatability, becoming an effective skewering of the American Dream, where given the chance to pull ahead and achieve happiness, one will undoubtedly be lured by temptation. Andrew Marko, as lead Seymour, does well to embody that initial sense of innocence, and how pure his intentions started out, a nerd who simply wants to win the girl, fearing his inability to impress her while wanting to stick with his humble dreams of staying at the flower shop.

To that end, Sing’theatre’s version also brings out the play’s inherent darkness, focusing on the less savoury aspects of human nature, particularly when we observe the many abusive and parasitic relationships that exist throughout the narrative. Seymour, for example, puts up with boss Mr Mushnik’s tempestuous outbursts, and is morally obliged to stay on despite being treated awfully by him, fed on scraps and subject to hard labour since becoming his ward as an orphan child. Substituting cast member Dwayne Lau, director TJ Taylor reprises the role from when he first played it as a 13-year old, and feels like he slips into it naturally and comfortably, capturing just the right amount of frustration and desperation depending on how well the shop is doing, even slipping into what feels like a genuine threat when he arrives at the truth.

Meanwhile, modelled after Golden Age Hollywood stars, Audrey cuts a sympathetic figure with her heart of gold set against her vampish, leopard-print dress and killer heels. Vanessa Kee does a great job of maintaining her heavy Brooklyn accent, ditzy and sultry, yet incredibly pitiful, with how she holds on to her abusive dentist boyfriend Orin (Benjamin Koh), despite the physical pain he subjects her to, hanging on to the hope for a way out of her broken social situation. Vanessa nails Audrey’s solo number ‘Somewhere That’s Green’, amping up the feeling of longing as she dreams of suburban stability, always wishing but never daring to claim a better life for herself. Opposite her, Benjamin Koh is brash and manic as the leather-clad Doctor Orin, clearly enjoying himself onstage as he brings the thrills and screams each time he threatens to pull out a tooth or giggling as he inhales a whiff of nitrous oxide, delightfully mad yet disarmingly dangerous, still capable of doing real harm to Audrey.

All this ends up tying back to the play’s central conflict – Audrey II, and how it uses Seymour to reach its ultimate goal. Taking the form of a giant puppet operated by Melissa May Garcia, Audrey II may be brightly-coloured, but it’s certainly a manipulative, bottomless pit of a plant, strangely seductive in its machinations and lures, which its voice, drag artist Honey Gluttony (aka Tony Tang), does well to balance both its more alien, sub-human qualities, and its alluring words. As much as we recognise Seymour’s crimes and squeamish in feeding various characters to Audrey II, one still can’t help but feel a twinge of joy at their comeuppance, perhaps in the process making us realise our own warped moralities.

It is these all-too-relatable moments that keep Little Shop of Horrors grounded, even while playing with the ridiculous and larger than life elements, maintaining even the more outrageous aspects of the original to keep it light. Take the Greek chorus for example, comprising AJ Alingalan, Nurulhuda Hassan, and Marissa Vojodi, who play a medley of characters throughout the show, with strong chemistry and working well as a group to always be ready to deliver a sassy interlude, whether setting the very first scene, or dressed in white nurse outfits ready to snip samples of Audrey II. Benjamin Koh and Honey Gluttony also get a chance to go even wilder with their minor roles, with fun cameos or rapid fire costume changes that showcase how well-rehearsed the team is, with nary a hair out of place, all knowing their cues and hitting every beat, under director TJ Taylor’s guidance. As zany as these characters are, you feel for them in all their human foibles and capacity for errors, their ordinary dreams all too real and certainly evoking sympathy.

In any musical, the design team is also integral for bringing out its full exuberance, and Wong Chee Wai has crafted a version of Skid Row that feels rough with its shady back alleys, yet strangely homely, with a silhouette of the city overhead, tiny fairy lights that bring out its inherent romance, particularly in ‘Suddenly Seymour’, as Audrey and Seymour finally fall for each other. Muschik’s flower shop is simple but quaint from its turquoise hues, where you’d never expect to contain the monstrosities it holds. Smooth scene changes allow the set to transition between both the outside and indoors, and occasionally even holds little surprises – such as a platform coming out of a doorway.

Costume designer Theresa Chan also puts in the work, not only ensuring that the main characters’ clothes immediately tell you more or less all you need to know about them, but the immense amount of work that goes into the minor characters’ many outfits, such as the Greek chorus’ many variations of green ensembles, ranging from peony-printed Chinese samfoos, to Motown-inspired, high-hemline performance outfits reminiscent of the Supremes – all in green of course. Even in the final scene, every character is given a green outfit to represent the successful world domination of the plants, impressive considering the unusual colour for material like leather, or for a soft nightrobe, all fitted with sparkly green trimmings too. Hair designer Ashley Lim and make-up artist Bobbie Ng can also both be counted on to help capture the exact mood

With Elaine Chan directing the live band, the music is crisp and clear, and reminds us all of why Alan Menken remains a legendary composer, whether with rock or ballads. In all, Little Shop of Horrors marks for another successful production by Sing’theatre, and makes for a fun night out with a streak of the diabolical, bringing with it an out of this world storyline laced with a hint of tragedy for these characters just trying to make a living and get by. While it does come with the sobering message that as bad as things get, we must uphold our basic sense of morality, lest we too become monsters of our own making, these hard truths are masked by a ball of catchy songs, campy performances, and strong production value, ensuring that it remains light and entertaining, where the final warning is clear: don’t feed the plants!

Photo Credits: Poh Yu Khing

Little Shop of Horrors plays from 12th to 28th April 2024 at SOTA Drama Theatre. Tickets available from SISTIC

Production Credits:

Book and Lyrics Howard Ashman Music Alan Menken Director TJ Taylor Cast Andrew Marko, Vanessa Kee, Dwayne Lau, Benjamin Koh, AJ Alingalan, Nurulhuda Hassan, Marissa Vojodi, Honey Gluttony (aka Tony Tang), Melissa May Garcia, TJ Taylor Producer Nathalie Ribette Musical Director Elaine Chan Band Brandon Wong, Jane Foo, Lee Lin Chow, Lee Fengheng Choreographer PJ Gregory Assistant Director/Assistant Choreographer Hafiz Hosni Set Designer Wong Chee Wai Sound Designer Shah Tahir Lighting Designer Reuben Ong Costume Designer Theresa Chan Hair Designer Ashley Lim Make Up Designer Bobbie Ng (The Make Up Room)