Little Shop of Horrors blooms in Temora as local theatre group brings classic musical to life

Motion Arts Temora is thrilled to bring to life the hilarious musical Little Shop of Horrors, fit for all ages and filled with laughs, catchy songs and quirky characters.

Don’t let the title scare you. Little Shop of Horrors is a classic musical from the 1980s, written by the same talented duo behind beloved Disney hits such as The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Beauty and the Beast.

Little Shop of Horrors follows the story of meek floral assistant Seymour, who discovers a new breed of plant that brings Mushnik’s little flower shop sudden fame.

Seymour affectionately names the plant Audrey II, in honour of his co-worker and crush, Audrey, who unfortunately has a boyfriend, the sadistic dentist Orin.

Motion Arts’ first idea for this production came after long-time member Chris Watson showed the 1986 Little Shop of Horrors film at one of their regular movie nights.

“Those who had already seen it before loved rewatching the film, and for those who had not come across it before, we were hooked,” Little Shop of Horrors producer and actor (Seymour) Scott Hayman said.

We put a call out to our members in mid-2024 for suggestions on which musical to apply for, and Little Shop of Horrors was by far the most popular.

The availability of the rights to this show was highly restricted due to Little Shop of Horrors currently running on Broadway, and Motion Arts was thrilled when its application was accepted and it bought the rights.

Scott said the musical production was set to delight audiences of all ages, with a cast and crew combining some of Motion Arts’ long-term members with new talent.

“With upbeat music provided by the street urchins, Chiffon, Crystal and Ronnette, Little Shop of Horrors will be a delight for the audiences,” he said.

The production secured the purchase of several set pieces from a Melbourne-based theatre company, including the puppets for the main character, Audrey II.

Directed by Ruby Kite and Kate Slapp, Little Shop of Horrors received an overwhelming response from local singers and actors, with auditions lasting more than four hours and including multiple call-backs. Everyone who auditioned was offered a role.

Scott said the most rewarding part of performing in the musical so far had been working under the direction of his former drama teacher, Kate.

“I didn’t have much interest in drama when I was in school, and I do regret not taking the opportunity to participate in my school productions when I had the chance,” he said.

“Now I have been allowed to learn from Kate, just as I would have in school.

“Our other director, Ruby, has also been incredibly insightful, and along with many in the cast, we have learnt so much throughout our rehearsal period.”

Scott said working alongside many talented people in this production had also been “incredibly rewarding”.

“Every production we do seems to bring in new people, and it always ends up being a group of people who are so supportive of everyone involved,” he said. ”It’s a lot of work doing these shows, but they are so fun to do.”

The former Motion Arts director said the Temora community became excited when a new production was in the making. People often told him they preferred seeing a local production over a professional one.

“They love to see people they know getting up on stage,” Scott said. ”It’s amazing how much people take away from seeing a live production.

“I often have residents approach me, telling me stories about what they remember from previous productions – whether it was one of Motion Arts’ recent shows or a performance from the ’70s or ’80s by the previous theatrical group.”

Performances will be at the Temora Memorial Town Hall:
– Friday 16 and 23 May – 7 pm
– Saturday 17 and 24 May – 7 pm
– Sunday 18 and 25 May – 2 pm.

Tickets are $35 per person and can be purchased at Temora’s Double Shot cafe or online through Motion Arts Temora.

Supper is included in the ticket price and will be served during intermission.