The coming production of The Little Shop of Horrors at Gungahlin Theatre will mark the 10-year anniversary of Dramatic Productions, founded by Richard Block.

More than 100 performers auditioned for the eight roles in the musical, so local talent is well and truly on display.

Little Shop is a horror comedy rock musical by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, based on the 1960 movie, The Little Shop of Horrors. 

It’s an obvious choice for a bit of Halloween fun too, as I find when I catch up with director Marty King.

“If people feel like they want to dress up and embrace the Halloween season, I would be more than encouraging of that,” he says.

King is probably best known for his 2022 production for the same company of School of Rock. 

A public servant by day with a small family, including a newborn baby girl, he’s been carefully spreading out his theatrical activities, there are signs that his three-year-old son may go follow in his father’s footsteps as he’s already coming to rehearsals and can sing along. 

King’s engagement with Canberra’s musical theatre community began in 2016 when he was thrown into the deep end as assistant director with Canberra Philharmonic on Anything Goes after meeting director Jim McMullen, who asked him to come on board.

But in fact, he and his partner Emma had both studied theatre at the University of Ballarat, now Federation University.

“I’d never directed before and I’d never done musical theatre, but I kind of caught the bug.” 

He became assistant director on Arthur Miller’s A View From The Bridge in 2017 and Strictly Ballroom in 2018, both directed by Chris Baldock, and worked with Ylaria Rogers on Shrek at The Q in 2018.

Then he met Richard Block from Dramatic Productions and his enormously successful production of School of Rock ensued.

“It wasn’t so much the musical theatre bug that I caught,” he says, “when I finished uni, I thought, maybe that’s not the thing for me, but then came the opportunity to work on Anything Goes.

“There’s something about directing, about seeing the big picture that resonates with me, there’s something about creating a vision and shaping a show, there’s more freedom.”

He describes Little Shop as “fun and time-insensitive”. 

“Knowing I might be doing the show in October, I thought, that’s in line with Halloween so it’s a spooky season show.”

Although the cast is about eight, he’s expanded the chorus for a couple of numbers using backstage people, so everybody is involved in the show.

Little Shop of Horrors is famous for having a non-human star – Audrey II, the carnivorous plant.

“No matter what stage you’re at in your musical theatre journey, you must surprise people so that they say, ‘Oh, I didn’t expect that’,” King says.

“Part of that was designing our own Audrey plant. We’ve been working away for months and what we’ve got is pretty special – possibly the largest Audrey II I’ve seen. I think people will be blown away.”

Block says the puppet budget alone is larger than the set, props and costumes combined.

Of course, there are human beings in the show too, especially the hapless central character Seymour, played by Alex Unikowski, on stage for almost every scene.

But with a man-eating plant in the show, the human characters come and “go”, so several of the cast play multiple roles.

It’s a tour de force for Unikowski, who is more often seen by Canberrans behind the keyboard than on stage.

The character is something of a loser, but on the other hand, the story has what King calls “a bit of a Faustian take”, as Seymour, who wishes for more, seizes the opportunity to take it despite red-flag warnings”.

Seymour, who works in Mushnik’s flower shop, finds a mysterious plant whom he names Audrey II, but soon discovers that she feeds on blood. When he stops feeding her, Audrey II promises that, if fed, she will make sure that all of Seymour’s dreams come true.

So, with a weird plot like this, I ask, what engages the emotions? 

“It’s definitely a very amusing show with a lot of comedy,” he says, “although in this version I’m leaning a bit harder on the horror aspects, taking inspiration from old B-grade horror movies. 

“It’s funny, but I also hope to make people squirm, embracing those horror moments.

“I want them to embrace the fear a bit.”

Little Shop of Horrors, Gungahlin Theatre, Gozzard Street, Gungahlin, October 11-26. Recommended for ages 15+.