Business is so bad at his Skid Row Florists that Mr. Mushnik is considering throwing in the trowel – sorry, towel. But just when it seems that the zinnias are destined for the garbage, Mushnik`s gawky, accident-prone assistant, Seymour, discovers a strange and exotic new plant. Read more …
Seymour names his discovery “Audrey Two”, after the shop`s ditsy sales girl Audrey, whom he secretly worships. And when Audrey Two starts to attract much needed custom – and the attention of the press – Seymour`s dreams of escaping the poverty of Skid Row and winning the hand of the real Audrey seem to be within reach.
But Audrey Two is no ordinary shrub. It grows at a phenomenal rate, thanks to a--well, let`s say, unusual diet. Oh, and it has plans for world domination. Only Seymour knows Audrey Two`s terrible secrets...and he`s prepared to risk everything if it means he has a shot at fame, fortune and true love. Satirizing the sci-fi movies and ‘creature features’ of the 1950s, and with a score that recreates the sounds of that era, PFT`s latest musical--featuring an all-singing, all-dancing, instrument-playing cast of actor-musicians, fabulous sets and costumes, and a terrifying Audrey Two!--is sure to get the Flights of Fancy season off to a flying start!
No-one wants to see the Pitlochry season trapped in a repertoire of chocolate-box prettiness; but if John Durnin is looking for an escape route, this back-to-the-future lurch into slightly dated 1980’s pastiche seems like something of a dead end.
A jaunty if inessential show.
As has become a tradition in Pitlochry musicals, all of the cast double up as the house band, with assorted trombones, clarinets, flutes and guitars being wielded to soundtrack each number. While such an approach gives a rough and ready streetband feel to proceedings, it never fully captivates in an intermittently funny show that should have spawned a monster.
Raucous, fast-moving and ridiculously entertaining.
As garish and unrestrained as this spectacularly silly musical demands, PFT artistic director John Durnin's production brings a touch of Broadway to the foothills of the Highlands.
Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Pitlochry from Friday June 1, 2012, until Saturday October 13, 2012. Plays in repertoire. Check website for specific times.. More info: www.pitlochry.org.uk
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