New Little Shop of Horrors revival to head on UK tour
A new revival of Little Shop of Horrors is to head on a UK tour in 2024.
The New Wolsey Theatre, Octagon Theatre Bolton, Hull Truck Theatre and Theatre By The Lake will team up to present Howard Ashman and Alan Menken’s smash-hit mean green monster musical.
This brand-new production of the Broadway and Hollywood sci-fi smash musical premieres at the New Wolsey Theatre from 1 – 23 March prior to a national tour.
It will visit Theatre by the Lake from Wednesday 27 March – 20 April, Octagon Theatre Bolton from 24 April – 18 May 2024 and Hull Truck Theatre from 22 May – 8 June 2024.
Downtown on Skid Row, weedy flower shop assistant Seymour is down on his luck until he stumbles across a mysterious new plant with killer potential. Fame and fortune follow but will this win the attention of the girl of his dreams, or will the insatiable appetite of his carnivorous plant get out of control?!
A stellar company of 9 actors including several talented actor-musicians make up the cast for this devilishly delicious sci-fi smash-hit musical.
Laura Jane Matthewson (Romantics Anonymous, Wise Children, Bristol Old Vic and US tour, winner of Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Emerging Talent for Dogfight, Southwark Playhouse) and Oliver Mawdsley (Boys from the Blackstuff, Stockroom and Liverpool Royal Court, The Comedy of Errors (More or Less), Stephen Joseph Theatre and Shakespeare North Playhouse) will play Audrey and Seymour respectively.
The man-eating plant, Audrey II, will be voiced by 2015 X Factor finalist and West End regular Anton Stephans (Tarrantino Live, Riverside Studios, Fishermans Friends, UK tour).
Completing the cast is Matthew Ganley (One Man, Two Guvnors, Octagon Theatre Bolton, Theatre by the Lake, Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse, Oliver Twist, Storyhouse Chester) as Orin; Matthew Heywood (The Book Thief, Octagon Theatre Bolton, Zorro, Charing Cross Theatre) as Derelict; Janna May (The Museum of Marvellous Things, Practically Perfect Productions, Dick Whittington and his Cat, New Wolsey Theatre) as Chiffon; Zweyla Mitchell Dos Santos (The Hypochondriac, Sheffield Crucible, Alice in Wonderland, Liverpool Everyman and Theatre Royal Playhouse) as Crystal; Chardai Shaw (Protest, Poetry, Peace and Song, Peripeteia Theatre, The Little Mermaid, Altrincham Garrick Playhouse) as Ronnette; and Andrew Whitehead (A Christmas Carol, Hull Truck Theatre, The Book Thief, Octagon Theatre Bolton) as Mr Mushnik.
More shows announced for The New Wolsey Theatre’s spring 2024 season include the world premiere of Bindweed (28 – 29 June), by Ipswich award-winning playwright, and Associate Artist of the New Wolsey, Martha Loader.
Building on the venue’s commitment to companies that make accessible work, Award-winning full-mask maestros Vamos Theatre, in a co-commission with London International Mime Festival and a co-production with the New Wolsey Theatre, presents Boy On The Roof from 13-14 February.
Plus, the Spring season’s vibrant selection of visiting shows from across the UK includes comedy, music and thought-provoking drama such as Scratchwork Theatre’s Hags – A Musical Extravaganza, La Navet Bete’sKing Arthur, Spies Like Us’ Speed Dial, Stan’s Cafe’s Community Service, Eastern Angle’s Stones In His Pockets, New Old Friends’ Houdini’s Greatest Escape, Simple 8’s Moby Dick and London Classic Theatre’s What The Butler Saw as well as family shows Dear Zoo and Gruffalo’s Child, and a host of one-night delights.
For more information and tickets, visit wolseytheatre.co.uk.
