Little Shop of Horrors is often criticised for being a bad musical, but it’s really not. Yes, it’s wacky, nonsensical and arguably shouldn’t have been made into a musical, but it has some amazing songs (written by the incredible Alan Menken and Howard Ashman) and I find its characters and storyline impossible to resist.
For the past few years, there has been rumours about casting for the new adaptation of Little Shop: will it feature Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson and Taron Egerton? Unfortunately, I won’t be clearing up that speculation today, but I will be telling you who my dream cast is.
Seymour – Ben Platt
Everybody knows Ben Platt for playing the titular role in Dear Evan Hansen and absolutely smashing it. The Tony award winner can’t help but make Evan seem completely lovable, despite his terrible mistakes throughout the show. With his natural charm, it would be a seamless transition for Platt to play the awkward and nerdy, yet endearing, protagonist in Little Shop. Platt has the most beautiful voice with an astounding range and perfect control. I get goosebumps just thinking about being sat in the auditorium crying whilst he sings ‘Suddenly, Seymour’. It would be the most captivating performance.
Audrey – Carrie Hope Fletcher
From Veronica Sawyer in Heathers to Cinderella in the Andrew Lloyd Webber’s upcoming musical Cinderella, Carrie Hope Fletcher is slowly becoming the crown jewel of the West End. Her role as Audrey would be something she’s never played before, as recently she’s become known for portraying quite strong-willed characters. It would be interesting to see how she would put her own spin on the character, but seeing how brilliant she was when playing the innocent, heart-wrenching Fantine in Les Misérables, I know it’d be a captivating performance.
Fletcher has previously said that she’s auditioned for the role but (obviously) didn’t get the part. Well, more fool the casting directors! You only need to hear her rendition of ‘Somewhere That’s Green’, a Little Shop track on her album, to you’ll see how perfect she would be for the role!
Audrey II – James Monroe Iglehart
Best known for playing the Genie in the original production of Aladdin on Broadway, James Monroe Iglehart would make the perfect Audrey II. Granted, you never actually see the actor playing Audrey II, but Iglehart’s amazing stage presence would shine through regardless. He is a larger-than-life character, which fits inperfectly with the role of the sassy yet sinister, man-eating plant.
Orin – Michael Sheen
This is a strange choice, I know… But hear me out! Michael Sheen is known for playing quirky characters such as Aziraphale in Good Omens and Aro in the Twilight series. This casting decision came to me when I saw him opposite David Tennant in the BBC show Staged: his manic lockdown hair and beard are just as wild as Orin and, for some reason, I can vividly imagine him cavorting around the stage as theegotistical dentist. I’m unsure if he can sing, which poses a problem but, hey, but I doubt Steve Martin was cast in the film adaptation because of his perfect singing voice. Why not Mr. Sheen?
Mr Mushnik – Brian d’Arcy James
This was the trickiest role to cast: Mushnik doesn’t have a particularly large role in the show, but I think that Brian d’Arcy James would bring a new level to this character. After all, there are no small parts! Best known for his roles as Shrek in Shrek the Musical and Nick Bottom in Something Rotten, it’s so easy to picture d’Arcy James as the eccentric flower shop owner. He brings a strong comedic nature to almost all characters he’s played. His performance in ‘Bottom’s Gonna Be on Top’ shows how brilliant he would be, and his comedic timing is definitely needed when playing the manipulative Mr. Mushnik!
Crystal, Ronette and Chiffon – Jennifer Hudson, Miriam-Teak Lee and Jasmine Cephas Jones
We know Jennifer Hudson from Dreamgirls (and most recently from Cats), Miriam-Teak Lee as Juliet in &Juliet, and Jasmine Cephas Jones as Peggy/Maria in Hamilton. Just imagine how perfect they would be as the trio of street urchinsin Little Shop! They fit my vision of the characters so perfectly, through their charisma, sass and most importantly, their badass, powerful voices. These three would complement each other perfectly!
Words by Emily Shepherd.
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