What do you get when you combine unrequited love with a blood-thirsty plant? It’s the gleefully gruesome cult musical comedy, Little Shop of Horrors.

Julia Wighton reports.

TRANSCRIPT

Laced with dark humour and raunchy romance, Little Shop of Horrors is one of the longest running off-broadway shows of all time.

It features a man-eating plant puppet.

“You opened up your trap, your thing, and you said “feed me, feed me now.”

The dual-voicing of characters Seymour and Audrey Two by performer Brent Hill is a world-first for the show and a huge challenge for the male lead.

Brent Hill, ‘Seymour’: “It’s very, um, it’s hard work, it’s very sweaty, um but we do it, we get it done and it’s a lot of fun, it’s a lot of fun.”

Playing Audrey is Esther Hannaford, who’s starred in Hairspray, Mamma Mia! And King Kong.

She says she prefers the carnivorous plant to the angry ape.

Esther Hannaford, ‘Audrey’: “He was a pretty big puppet, so this one’s a little bit easier to work with probably.”

The show, by director Dean Bryant, boasts original music and an all Australian cast.

Fans of the 1986 cult classic might be tempted to sing along, but this show has a surprise ending you won’t see coming.

Little Shop of Horrors heads to Sydney next for an encore season, before finishing up in Perth.

Julia Wighton, QUT News.