Audiences are set to have an out-of-this-world time watching a Norwich theatre company's production of Little Shop of Horrors.
The comedy rock musical is the latest show to be staged by Sound Ideas Theatre Company which has added a unique twist to the cult classic which tells the story of well-meaning florist Seymour Krelborn and his wisecracking plant Audrey II.
Seymour delights in the attention his leafy friend attracts, but when Audrey II develops a carnivorous craving for human flesh, the situation begins to spin out of control.
Dan Smith, the director of the show, said: 'Everything that people know and expect from Little Shop of Horrors is in the show and we have also given it a sci-fi twist. It is almost comic book-like and the opening is set in space. The three girls who play the Greek chorus are space rangers.
'The plants are the same and the songs are the same but we just wanted to add something different and it works really well.'
He said the nine-strong cast would be joined on the Norwich Playhouse stage by a professional band and some amazing puppets.
'We have got some incredible puppets from the recent UK tour. They are monstrous and the biggest is 10ft tall!' he said.
Sound Ideas Theatre Company was formed in 2013 as part of the Norwich Fringe Festival. Since then the company has grown from performing shows in bars to presenting full-scale productions, and Sound Ideas company members Lynn Ireson and Daniel Smith won the Dr Frank Bates Dance and Musical Theatre Award at this year's Norfolk Arts Awards.
Last year the company staged the regional premiere of oddball toilet-themed musical Urinetown, followed by an ambitious Christmas production of Stephen Sondheim's dark spin on fairytales, Into The Woods.
Little Shop of Horrors is Sound Ideas' third production this year, following on from an immersive and site-specific production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and the company's first professional show, USHERS: The Front of House Musical.
Little Shop of Horrors is at Norwich Playhouse from December 12 to 16. Performances are at 7.30pm each night. There is also a 2.30pm matinee on December 16. Tickets £18-£20. For more information and to book tickets, visit www.norwichplayhouse.co.uk
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here