Marc Antolin and Jemima Rooper will head the cast of Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s version of hit monster musical The Little Shop of Horrors.
The final production of the 2018 season will also feature Forbes Masson, Matt Willis and US drag queen Vicky Vox.
Returning to the Open Air Theatre following appearances in Hello, Dolly! and Into the Woods, Antolin will play Seymour, opposite Rooper whose stage credits include Sheffield Crucible’s production of Me and My Girl and One Man, Two Guvnors at the National Theatre, on tour, in the West End and on Broadway as Audrey.
One of the stars of The Other Palace’s Big Fish, RSC actor Masson will take on the role of florist Mr Mushnik, with pop/rock band Busted’s Willis (Footloose, Shaftesbury Theatre, Flashdance UK tour) as dentist Orin. US cabaret performer Vox will make her theatre debut as the plant Audrey II.
The cast will also include Renée Lamb, Seyi Omooba and Christina Modestou as Chiffon, Crystal and Ronnette. Lamb recently appeared as Catherine of Aragon in SIX (Arts Theatre). Omooba’s credits include Ragtime (Charing Cross Theatre) while Modestou featured in the 20th anniversary production of Rent UK tour.
Completing the cast are: Joe Allen, Josh Baker, Billy Cullum, Julian Hoult, Rosalind James, Bobbie Little, Helen Siveter and Mary Lynn Tiep.
Running from 3 August until 15 September 2018, the new production of the musical which features music by Alan Menken and a book and lyrics by Howard Ashman will be directed by Maria Aberg (Fantastic Mr Fox, Nuffield/Lyric Hammersmith) in her Open Air Theatre debut.
Commenting on the production Aberg said: “The figure of Audrey II represents chaos at the heart of the downtrodden, deeply conventional world of Skid Row. She is everything Seymour’s existence is not – anarchic, queer, wickedly funny. Borne out of his greed, combined with his secret desires, the plant explodes like an out-of-control after party onto the stage, seducing and terrifying in equal measure, all with a knowing glint in the eye and a filthy sense of humour.
“Fuelled by Seymour’s own wish for success she grows increasingly demanding, increasingly glamorous, and increasingly unreasonable, until she’s conquered the whole of New York and the show erupts in a huge, defiant celebration of the subversive and the downright fabulous.”
Based on Roger Corman’s 1960 cult classic movie, the musical was first staged Off-Broadway in 1982 ahead of its West End debut in 1983. A multi award winner, the show focuses on downtrodden flower shop assistant Seymour and a mysterious plant with killer potential.
The Regent’s Park production will be designed by Tom Scutt whose credits include the venue’s Jesus Christ Superstar with musical supervision by Tom Deering (Jesus Christ Superstar, On the Town), lighting design by Howard Hudson (On the Town), sound design by Nick Lidster for Autograph and casting by Stuart Burt.
Angela Thomas
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