A hungry plant takes centre stage in Skipton’s first Little Shop of Horrors
Skipton Musical Theatre Company is bringing the cult musical comedy Little Shop of Horrors to Skipton Town Hall from October 21 to 24. The company’s first staging of the show pairs its dark humour and catchy songs with puppetry, as a timid florist’s assistant discovers that his unusual plant has a dangerous appetite.
Key takeaways
Performances run from October 21 to 24 at Skipton Town Hall.
Neil Wilnes stars as Seymour, with Olivia Walmsley as Audrey.
Tickets cost £22; under-16s can attend the Saturday matinee for £18.
The production marks a new challenge for the company, which last year staged Shrek with a much larger cast. For fans of live laughs, it offers a very different kind of night out from stand-up at Comedy in Your Eye: a scripted, musical mix of comedy, romance and horror, with an enormous plant puppet at its heart.
A first for the company
This is the first time Skipton Musical Theatre Company (SMTC) has performed Little Shop of Horrors during its 100-year history. Director Jay Cundell-Walker says the smaller cast and focus on puppets have brought fresh opportunities as well as new challenges.
He also sees a topical edge in the story of a clever, increasingly uncontrollable plant. With artificial intelligence developing rapidly, his tongue-in-cheek advice is simple: “Don’t feed the plant!”
Seymour’s dangerous discovery
The story follows Seymour Krelborn, a shy assistant in a flower shop who finds a mysterious plant and sees his prospects of fame, fortune and love begin to improve. But as Audrey II grows—and its hunger for blood intensifies—Seymour faces a grim cost for his new success.
Wilnes plays Seymour, Walmsley is Audrey and Martin McCulley takes the role of Mr Mushnik. K. Ellis plays Orin, the sadistic dentist, while Selina Oakley voices Audrey II. Gem Tetley, Laura Lipscombe and Jess Oakey appear as the Urchins.
Show times and tickets
Performances are scheduled for 7.30pm on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, with Saturday shows at 2.30pm and 6.30pm. Tickets are £22, while under-16s can attend the Saturday matinee for £18. They are available from Skipton Town Hall and through its website.
The production is presented by arrangement with Music Theatre International as an amateur performance. With its blend of songs, puppetry and mischievous horror, SMTC hopes the show will welcome both regular theatre-goers and newcomers.
Sources
Skipton theatre group to stage Little Shop of Horrors, Telegraph and Argus.