A love-sick hero.
A blood-thirsty plant.
A mouth-watering musical.
The Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) Playhouse Theatre has been a good place to find black comedies in the first half of 2016. Back in January we were treated to Heathers the Musical, an adaptation of the 1980s cult film. Fast forward a few months and we are now being given the chance to watch the newest Australian production of cult classic Little Shop of Horrors.
Following seemingly successful seasons in Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra these past few months, the show is set to kick off at QPAC this evening. This opening night will be followed by a season which will run until June 12 2016 – with a number of evening and matinee sessions on offer.
Little Shop of Horrors follows Seymour Krelborn, a meek and mild flower shop assistant who has stumbled upon a peculiar new plant species, which he names after his stunning but vulnerable colleague Audrey. The sinister plant seems like his ticket to fame and fortune, but the plant grows and grows … and GROWS! Seymour discovers that feeding his ambition starts to require juicier & juicier ingredients. Before he knows it, Seymour and Audrey must battle the perilous and persuasive plant not just for their lives, but for the very future of planet earth!
Brent Hill stars as the unassuming hapless flower shop working Seymour Krellborn. Alongside him is Ester Hannaford, who will be playing the object of Seymour’s affections, Audrey. The opportunistic shop owner Mr Mushnik, will be played by Tyler Coppin while the role of the demon dentist and Audrey’s sadistic boyfriend is Scott Johnson. Angelique Cassimatis, Josie Lane and Chloe Zuel play the three Supreme-esque streetwise urchins while Dash Kruck and Kuki Tipoki complete the ensemble cast.
The creative team on the other hand includes Dean Bryant as director, Andrew Hallsworth as Choreographer, Andrew Worboys as musical director, Own Phillips as set designer, Time Chappel as costume designer and Ross Graham as lighting designer. Audrey II (Pictured in the above image) has been crafted by puppet-makers Erth, who are known for their unique and incredibly detailed designs.
Expect to read my review of Little Shop of Horrors soon, in addition to three interviews I recorded earlier today.
Tickets to see Little Shop of Horrors in the QPAC Playhouse are priced at $77.40 – $112.40 each, with the price dependent on session preference, seating preference and concession/student status. For more information and to book tickets, visit the QPAC website or contact their box office.
Little Shop of Horrors is being presented by Luckiest Productions and Tinderbox Productions. Following the Brisbane season, it will be headed to the Roslyn Packer Theatre in Sydney and His Majesty’s Theatre in Perth.
