Little horror, big laughs at Amdram
HUNGRY: WHS teacher, Colin Hedivan poses with Audrey II as it devours a fluffy-slippered (former WHS student) Shaila Hawkins.
PICTURE / Paul Brooks.
Strange things are happening at Amdram Theatre in Guyton St. There's a plant, and it's growing, taking over ... and eating people.
Little Shop of Horrors has come to town and it starts on stage at Amdram this Friday.
Colin Hedivan, who is also head of drama at Whanganui High School, is directing the musical.
"I directed Little Shop of Horrors 11 years ago at a high school I worked at in Canada, and it was the most fun I've ever had directing a show. So I've been waiting for the right opportunity to do it somewhere else. I've always wanted to do it in Whanganui but it was a matter of being available. I pitched it to Amdram and they said, let's do it."
The plant, Audrey II, is the star.
"She's ugly, but beautiful," says Colin.
"Progressively the plant gets bigger through the show," he says, so we looked at all four versions, number four being the one pictured.
It starts as a pot plant, albeit an odd-looking one. Then it grows through three other versions on stage ... and it moves, seeking living human flesh.
Yvonne Jones' craftsmanship is evident in the first two versions and husband Ian helped her with version three. The final, and most carnivorous version is the work of a team of designers and builders. Ian Jones, Terry Lobb, Geoff Campbell and Kirk Nicholls contributed to the chicken wire, mattress rubber and various ingredients that went into the monster plant.
They were advised by Lee Williams who has worked for Weta Workshops (among many other arts and costume related things).
Audrey II even has dialogue.
"The voice of the plant is spoken from off-stage and we have a puppeteer inside, so the two of them work in collaboration to create the effect of the plant."
Dylan Peterson is the voice of the full-grown plant and Phil Portland is puppeteer.
The cast consists of Shaila Hawkins (Audrey - after whom the plant is named), Chris Pedley (Seymour), Dwight Ballard (Mr Mushnik) and Richard Leith (six characters, including the sadistic dentist).
Little Shop of Horrors is Shaila's last show in Whanganui before leaving to study for a BA in Music and Theatre Studies at Waikato University.
"Our three narrators, the Doo-Wop girls are played by three high school students - Cypress Kani-Hurinui, Ali Gammeter and Abby Squire - a Year 10, a Year 11 and a Year 12 student. It was written for a small cast and a small orchestra. Although there are 16 characters in the show, all 16 are played by only eight actors on stage."
The music, written by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, will be played by an orchestra consisting of Lynn Whiteside, Errol Christiansen and Abby Livesay.
"It's been an incredible team that's put this entire show together, it really has."
And it's a musical.
"The music is 1950s rock and roll doo-wop influenced," says Colin. "It's odd material for a musical, if you think about it. A plant comes down from outer space and feeds on human flesh. But it's so catchy and so funny. It's this weird combination of science fiction, melodrama and realism."
The show is running from September 15 to 30, weekends only, Friday to Sunday.
Tickets from Royal Whanganui Opera House.
By Paul Brooks
Wanganui Midweek 13/9/17