Little Shop of Horrors — Luckiest Productions & Tinderbox Productions
The musical that was inspired by a film — and then became another film.
Overview
These days, the line between movies and on-stage musicals is rather thin: one becomes the other all the time, and vice versa. In Little Shop of Horrors' case, both situations prove true. First, a Roger Corman-directed 1960 black comedy horror feature inspired a 1982 off-off-Broadway effort. Then, years before they'd work on The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin, Howard Ashman and Alan Menken's theatre offering spawned a 1986 film.
If it all sounds a little confusing, don't worry — just think of it as one ravenous plant sprouting off into different directions. In fact, that hungry piece of foliage is called Audrey II, she's owned by a flower shop worked called Seymour, and she needs human blood to survive.
Whether you've seen the '80s flick starring Rick Moranis, Steve Martin and Bill Murray, or you've been meaning to check Little Shop of Horrors out for years, here's your chance to enjoy the theatre version. Luckiest Productions and Tinderbox Productions have revived the tale for the Australian stage, complete with Brent Hill, Esther Hannaford, Tyler Coppin, Scott Johnson, Angelique Cassimatis, Josie Lane and Chloe Zuel among the cast — and a carnivorous plant as well.
Image: Jeff Busby.