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Creative Ambassadors:

Little Shop of Horrors Review

Published Wednesday 3rd Jun 2026
Creative Ambassadors attended press night of Little Shop of Horrors, read on for their reviews of the cult classic musical!

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What a fabulous night of theatre! It was a full house last night at Derby Theatre for press night.

The show came to Derby and opened on Saturday 30th May and will run until Saturday 20th June.

It was a rollickin’, toe-tapping, head-swaying kinda’ show as we rolled from one song into another seamlessly with the classics ‘Suddendly Seymour’ and ‘Feed me!’ wowing the audience. It was full of soulfulness, both gentle and gutsy, in the dances and songs and the cast were able to perfectly bring this to the show. I love a song and a dance, so it was right up my street!

On a deeper level, this mad-cap mash up of sci-fi, Motown and B-movie horror could also be seen as a critic on modern-life; the desperation and social problems of living in poverty (Skid Row) with domestic-violence and mental health problems, America’s/ the wests constant desire for more and how this avarice leads to unhappiness and ultimately humankind’s self-destruction.

Although it was the first time I’d seen the full show, I had an idea of what to expect, but it blew away my expectations – with the story, the cast’s acting and their singing was amazing – their voices were outstanding!

I left the theatre full of joy – toe-tapping and singing… and thinking about the deeper meaning of the show too! It was so transportative… theatre has this ability to thrill and take us away from our lives and day to day worries for a few hours. If you get the opportunity – do go to see it… you won’t regret it!

Production images, credit Pamela Raith

Please note: clever consultation of Emma Jude Harris to ensure cultural representation of both Jewish and American culture were appropriate 😉 love that ❤️both thoughtful and important.

#derbytheatre #littleshopofhorrors #theatre #liveshow #FEEDMEDERBY

If you’ve never been to the theatre- Little Shop of Horrors will make you fall in love with it!
The Derby production is a captivating fresh interpretation of a popular cult classic
that perfectly balances comedy and horror with remarkable ease – I’ve never laughed out so loud at the theatre!
Right from the start the production is full of energy that never dips, which kept the audience fixated to the end.
Many of the audience commented how quick time passed by.
The songs and live band will have you dancing and singing along, especially with the melodious nature of Seymour, Audrey and Audrey II.
All the cast were lively and engaging, but the singing and dancing trio of Chiffon, Ronette and Crystal stole the show for me.
Their antics on stage will have you laughing throughout and their voices, powerful, harmonious and soulful are mind blowing.
The choreography and stage add to the brilliance of the production.  The puppetry is first class.
This is a ten out of ten production and if you are going to watch one performance at Derby Theatre this year – then this is the one!

I have been a fan for a long time of, ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ but this can be somewhat of a poisoned chalice! We end up expecting too much and end up being disappointed… However, this was NOT the case! From start to finish, the audience was treated to a colourful, musical masterpiece. To say that this was the start of the run was remarkable; everything was slick, well-rehearsed and polished.
The creative captions allowed deaf and hard or hearing audience members to access any and every performance. How wonderful is this! So many times, performances are allocated for certain members of the theatre community on set performances, when this might not be appropriate. As a hearing audience member, I would hate to be told when I could and couldn’t attend.
I don’t want to give any spoilers away because the show was an absolute joy from start to finish! Please go and see it as you won’t be disappointed. Guaranteed you’ll then be persuading friends/family to go along and experience the musical. This show will do very well so grab your seats whilst there are some left. You’ll never look at your plants in the same way again.
Well done Derby Theatre!

What an amazing performance. Little Shop of Horrors has always been one of my favourite musicals, and this rendition does it serious justice.
Like all versions, there are tweaks and changes, but they are so well thought out and seamlessly worked in that they never jar you out of the joyous ride that this show is.
It was a full house, and the performance drew everyone in from start to finish. It even held people’s attention during the interval — where other shows often have audiences talking about unrelated things, most people here were discussing what they’d just seen, sharing facts about this version, or comparing it to previous productions and talking about how brilliant it was.
There was suspense, laughter, dancing in seats, and people clearly wanting to join in with the songs.
And then came a standing ovation, where everyone seemed to want to stay standing for just a little longer to hold onto what we had just experienced.
The casting was fantastic — every actor fit their role perfectly. I was slightly concerned because I sometimes struggle with the uncanny adaptation feeling you can get when watching a stage version after being so familiar with the film. I was pleasantly surprised to experience none of that here.
All I can say is: book while you can. If I could, I would go and see it again in a heartbeat.

I was delighted to be invited as one of Derby Theatres Creative Ambassadors to attend the Press Night performance of Little Shop of Horrors and I am writing this review in return for the Gifted Tickets. 

Derby Theatre’s Little Shop of Horrors is a hugely entertaining take on the cult musical. Blending comedy, horror and romance the production keeps audiences engaged from beginning to end.

At the heart of the story is Seymour Krelborn, a shy and awkward florist assistant who discovers a mysterious plant he names Audrey II after the woman he secretly loves. 

Kristian Cunningham delivers an excellent performance as Seymour Krelborn. He perfectly captures the characters nervous charm and vulnerability, allowing the audience to root for him throughout his complicated journey. His vocals are strong and expressive, bringing humour and emotion to the role.

Amena El-Kindy shines as Audrey, portraying the character with warmth, sweetness, and heart. Her performance is touching and funny, and she shares excellent chemistry with Kristians Seymour.

Jon Bonner is superb as Mr. Mushnik, balancing comedy and frustration with impeccable timing. His interactions with Seymour provide many of the show’s funniest moments.

David Rankine is a standout as the sadistic dentist Orin Scrivello and his various additional characters. His manic energy and comic flair make every appearance memorable.

The show’s narration and musical backbone come from The Urchins of Skid Row who serve as a Greek chorus throughout the story. 

Emmanuella Chede (Ronnette), Shekinah McFarlane (Crystal), and Chioma Uma (Chiffon) are sensational. Their harmonies are stunning, their choreography is slick, and they bring infectious energy to every scene.

A special mention must go to Tasha Dowd as the Voice of Audrey II. Her commanding vocals give the plant its menacing personality and I was especially happy to see her appear during the finale song on stage with the rest of the cast. 

Equally impressive is Ross Lennon as the Audrey II Puppeteer. The puppet work is seamless and convincing, bringing the monstrous plant to life and becoming one of the production’s greatest highlights.

One thing I must mention is the audio captions throughout the entirety of the show. It was a welcome surprise for me and I was delighted to see theatre being made more accessible for the hard of hearing. 

The combination of strong performances, excellent music, and impressive puppetry makes this production a triumph. Derby Theatre has created a fun, fast paced, and thoroughly enjoyable version of Little Shop Of Horrors that captures all the charm and darkness of the beloved musical.

The show runs until 20th June with limited tickets still available for the remaining performances. 

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