LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS Adelaide Theatre Academy Norwood Concert Hall Until 04 Mar 2018 Review by Doug Phillips Being a youth cast, we’re expected to “go easy” on them. But there’s no need. This production holds its own in Adelaide’s current amateur theatre scene. In fact, there have been plenty of adult casted shows in the last decade here in Adelaide that weren’t as good as this. Full disclosure though, I have loved this musical since I was a kid. The 1986 movie is probably what started my love for musicals, so I’m fairly biased here. And I loved this version too. The talent, discipline, and character commitment were all fantastic. The singing was confident and loud – although the sound mixing didn’t do the cast justice. On a few occasions mics were turned up too late, and Audrey II was hard to understand nearly every time she sang. The orchestra were tight, but again the levels were such that the music overpowered the singing. In fairness, I suspect that the venue itself is not an easy one to mix sound in. All leads knew their parts very well, and their performances were bang on. The supporting cast isn’t to be outdone though, as their enthusiasm, precision, and energy gave the show that punchy, loud, energy it needs. I badly wanted to be up there with them, and I found myself singing songs from the show at interval, and in the car on the drive home afterwards. The future of Adelaide musical theatre is strong. It’s obviously in good hands too. Rating: 4 Stars (out of 5)