MALVERN, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — People’s Light Theater in Malvern is ending its season with an extended engagement of “Little Shop of Horrors.”
You may be familiar with the 1986 movie or the numerous stars who have rotated through the revival cast off-Broadway, but the People’s Light actors say you’ve never seen ”Little Shop” like this before.
The show centers around a man-eating plant, usually portrayed by a puppet with the actor offstage. But Chabrelle Williams, who plays the plant named Audrey II, says she can be seen for most of the show.
“It makes this version of Audrey II a lot more real and a lot more scary,” Williams said.
“I think what helps me bring it to life is the costuming and everything built around me … it allows me to kind of hide in plain sight, to make me both seem like an inanimate object, and something that's also very real.”
This production also features non-traditional gender casting, including a non-binary Seymour played by Anna Faye Lieberman.
“‘Little Shop’ deals with themes of masculinity, femininity, how they can both become toxic, and I think Seymour is having a really hard time finding themselves in this space,” Lieberman said.
“So it becomes this really interesting exploration of how that toxic masculinity can influence power, and how Seymour's trying to get power.”
But one thing they haven’t changed is the over-the-top, dark humor that fans of the show know and love.
“It's just so different and so campy. Oh, it's so campy,” Williams said.
“Little Shop of Horrors” is on stage through Aug. 3. Tickets can be purchased here.