Faustian Bargains, Forlorn Love & a Serial Killing Plant: A Cult Classic Brought to Life

“Little Shop of Horrors” is a hybrid dark comedy that is an award winning musical and a popular film that has attained cult status. This is a story that interlaces romance, science fiction with horror and comedy making it a truly one of a kind, atthe-edge-of-your-seat experience.

The Overseas School of Colombo (OSC) staged this complex musical extravaganza, and what a truly momentous production it was! This writer was blown away - incapacitated in fact by the star-studded performances, impeccable casting, and the monumental score and musical soundscape that made “Little Shop of Horrors” a work of genius.

Directed by the brilliant Rachel Jackson, with the amazing Young Woong Kim helming Musical Direction, “Little Shop of Horrors” saw public runs on Thursday 30th November, Friday 1st December, and Saturday 2nd December, all three days to a full house rampant with applause at the school auditorium.

Let’s take a small step back to the origins of the story. The first film was released in 1960 directed by Roger Corman and written by Charles B. Griffith, said to have been inspired by “Green Thoughts”, a 1932 story by John Collier. Interestingly rumour has it that Griffith was influenced by the late great Arthur C. Clarke’s 1956 science fiction short story “The Reluctant Orchid”, which was said to have been inspired by the brilliant H.G. Wells’ “The Flowering of the Strange Orchid”.

However, it was the Broadway musical “Little Shop of Horrors” by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman that garnered both critical acclaim and cult-like fame. So much so that it inspired the popular 1986 remake directed by Frank Oz, starring Rick Moranis (Ghostbusters), Ellen Greene (Léon: the Professional, Talk Radio) and the iconic Steve Martin.

OSC’s adaptation was presented through a special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MIT), while all authorised performance materials and licensed rights were granted by MIT as well.

The plot revolves around Seymour (Akhil Pilapitiya) a down-and-out floral assistant who discovers a mysterious plant he names Audrey II (Sofia Obretenova). Seymour soon discovers that Audrey II is a sentient carnivorous plant with a mounting craving for human blood. The young floral assistant attempts to satisfy the plant’s appetite, only to discover that the very presence and existence of the plant has not just a colossal influence on him but changes his fate and the entire life journeys of all those who surround him. Seymour experiences exponential fame, fortune, and new-found status thanks to the plant.

But of course, there is a darker twist with his new-found success as Audrey II poses incremental danger to everyone around Seymour, not least of all the well-rounded cast comprised of the young floral assistant’s one true love Audrey (Naomi Omprasadham), the floral shop owner Mr. Mushnik (Chirath Wickramaratne) and Audrey’s abusive, sadistic biker dentist boyfriend Orin (Eitan Shaul).

What struck me as novel was the level of sophistication, creativity and professionalism that made OSC’s adaptation of “Little Shop of Horrors” outstanding. There was no doubt that audiences were drawn cerebrally, emotionally and physically to this gritty, urban aesthetic world in order to experience the production in all its glory, unravelling all our senses.

The characters are diverse, and memorable, ranging from innocent and quirky, to ominous and gullible. Seymour, Audrey, Mr. Mushnik, Orin and Audrey II all had great chemistry, with indisputable talent to act with such conviction, while singing some challengingly intricate songs from a range of genres. I had the pleasure of meeting up and talking to the leads, as well as the Director Rachel and Musical Director Young a few days after the production’s successful run. It was obvious from the get-go that this here were students who were destined to play these characters with the degree of confidence and chemistry they exemplified off the stage, as they did upon it, much like professional thespians.

The actors not only took to their roles with apparent a-hand-smoothly-slippinginto-a-velvet-glove like ease, but mentioned they auditioned for the parts being well versed with the musical, even embodying the roles with props (“Akhil wearing the spectacles”, “Naomi in a sling”, etc.,) during auditions to be in character.

The stage set was uniquely crafted where the audience was seated in traverse around the floral shop where a lot of the scenes took place, while the auditorium stage was also put to fabulous use to bring out the gritty, urban aesthetic of a browbeaten neighbourhood of Skidrow to life.

Eitan (Grade 9) when interviewed said with an impish smirk that he felt the sadistic biker dentist was perfect for him (which it was!). The young Eitan oozing mischief and wicked charm played Orin with vibrancy, for the sadistic bad-boy dentist is a truly nutty character, all swagger one moment and then a volatile psycho the next. Eitan portrayed Orin with style.

Chirath (Grade 12) who has prior theatre experience remarked that he initially wanted to play the role of the plant, but that upon latter introspection realised the role of Mr. Mushnik was quirky and also layered, because while the owner of Skid Row Florists was highly opportunistic, and business-minded, he displayed some paternal fondness for Seymour. Mushnik is driven by financial greed but tends to be ignorant of the ethical implications of his professional choices, making him a valuable staple of the production.

One of the production’s highlights for me was Sofia Obretenova (Grade 11) who plays the part of the malicious plant Audrey II. Sofia embodied all the sinister attributes, the menacing manipulative mystery and malevolence of the killer plant, rife with husky, grainy vocals and a powerful performance that added to the complex layers of the plant’s evolution.

Akhil (Grade 11) and Naomi (Grade 10) were the two who kept the glue of this complex story together full of sparks and fire. From the beginning both characters make their mark; Akhil’s portrayal of Seymour as a down on his luck, nervous, giddy witted, introverted kid who secretly and silently wishes to one day be something more than a stammering, shy nerd. His character was juxtaposed splendidly with Naomi’s personification of Audrey, a girl who suffers fools because of her traumatic past, is sweet with a girl-next-door persona, who has selfesteem issues and therefore is vulnerable, always dreaming for a better life, but doing nothing about it.

As the story evolves, we see the character arcs take some surprising twists and turns where Seymour’s innocence and geeky persona is replaced with an intelligent, composed, skilful disposition. His state of inner conflict, tethering on the precipice of madness despite having ruptured good intentions was exemplified by Akhil. From his Lady & the Tramp like Disney presence to becoming a demonised, troubled character with darker linings, the character arc is showcased well.

Audrey starts off as a typically gullible and naïve downtrodden girl who dreams big but lives a life of compromise trapped in a toxic relationship, only to showcase layers of depth and substance as her psychology and past is revealed. The audience was able to later on glimpse into the soul of a vulnerable girl who is more complex than she initially seems and earns their sympathy, who wins them over further with her sonorous operatic singing and a performance depicting a girl who challenges herself to face her own demons and find courage through her storms.

The music spanned everything from hard rock, jazz, doo-wop, Motown, soul to upbeat rock ‘n roll. Some of the songs are renowned classics in musical theatre and are not a walk in the park to pull off. The strong vocal performances and unmistakable chemistry between the lead actors contributed to the overall impact and authenticity of the production.

The 15-strong ensemble, made up of students (in Grade 9 - 12) immaculately complemented the leads. The stage set up, sounds, lighting and technical aspects were fabulously tackled for a production this intricate. The props, backstage crew and costume designs were otherworldly. All of these elements intertwined, with a perfect musical landscape transported audiences to the belly of the beast as it were, and right into the bosom of the tale. The jaw dropping climax of the musical was built up to a fine crescendo, hitting a peak level thanks to the expert storytelling, the plot unravelling scene by scene and layer by layer like a snake shedding membranous skin.

Special mention must be made to the fantastic band in this regard conducted by the incredible Young Woong Kim, with the masterful Marlon Perera on bass, Kavindu Biyanwila on Electric Bass & Acoustic Guitar, Shenal Warnakulasooriya on Piano/ Keys, and Danushka Ranathunga on Drums and Percussion.

The Overseas School of Colombo, the nation’s oldest and only International Baccalaureate (IB) based international school is no stranger to staging captivating and breathtaking theatre productions of the highest calibre.

It isn’t often you find yourself watching and leaving a theatre production where it resonates with you emotively and evocatively to the point that you revisit the musical spectacle in your mind. The musical seamlessly blends dark comedy, with themes of love, heartbreak, ambition, emotional conflict, and the consequences of making Faustian bargains.

“Little Shop of Horrors” had plenty of bark, shovel loads of bite, it was beautiful as it was brutal, and the standing ovations received were well deserved.

And you know what? The fact that you need to pinch yourself to remember that at the end of the day it was a secondary school production, is proof enough that this was a masterful musical that will never be forgotten!