Teatru Manoel and Masquerade Malta unveil the musical Little Shop of Horrors

Running from 23rd October to 1st November 2026, the production brings together Teatru Manoel and Masquerade Malta for a musical that combines dark comedy, romance, science fiction and B-movie horror with an instantly recognisable score by Alan Menken and book and lyrics by Howard Ashman. The collaboration reflects Teatru Manoel’s commitment to presenting a diverse programme at Malta’s national theatre while creating opportunities for large-scale local productions and Maltese performers and creatives.

At the heart of Little Shop of Horrors is Seymour Krelborn, a shy and struggling flower shop assistant whose life changes when he discovers a mysterious plant. As the plant, Audrey II, grows, Seymour finds himself enjoying unexpected attention and success, only to discover that fulfilling its increasingly dangerous appetite comes at a considerable price. The musical has built a devoted international following over more than four decades. Its score includes well-known numbers such as Skid Row (Downtown), Suddenly Seymour and Feed Me (Git It), bringing together Motown-inspired music, comedy and horror within a story that explores ambition, desire, love and the consequences of pursuing success at any cost.

Artistic Director Anthony Bezzina reflected on the journey behind bringing Little Shop of Horrors to the stage, from the early stages of rehearsals to bringing together the music, performances and different creative elements of the production. “Bringing Little Shop of Horrors to life has been an exciting journey for the entire team. It is a production that demands a strong combination of music, comedy, performance and visual storytelling, and

seeing all these elements gradually come together has been incredibly rewarding. The music is central to the show, with Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s memorable score driving both the energy and the story. We are now looking forward to sharing the result of that work with audiences at Teatru Manoel,” said Mr Bezzina.

Speaking during the press launch, Teatru Manoel CEO Edward Zammit highlighted the importance of the collaboration with Masquerade Malta and of continuing to make musical theatre part of the theatre’s programme. Mr Zammit explained that “as Malta’s national theatre, Teatru Manoel has an important role in presenting audiences with a programme that reflects different forms of theatrical expression, and musical theatre is very much part of that.

Our collaboration with Masquerade brings together the experience and creative strengths of both organisations and allows us to present an ambitious production within this historic theatre. Little Shop of Horrors is a work with enormous energy, memorable music and a very distinctive theatrical identity, and we are delighted to welcome this production and its company to the Teatru Manoel stage,”

The Maltese creative team is led by Anthony Bezzina, with Musical Direction by Kris Spiteri, Choreography by Valerie Burke, Costume Design by Simona Mamo, Sound Design by Sergio Costa and Set Design by Adrian Mamo. Luigi Buhagiar takes on the role of Seymour, alongside Michela Agius as Audrey and Karl Bartolo as Audrey II. The cast also features Francesco Nicodeme as Orin, Rachel Fabri Camilleri as Crystal, Natassja Chapman as Chiffon, Abigail Maria Zarb as Ronnette, Max Dingli as Mushnik and Miguel Rosales as part of the ensemble.

Based on the film by Roger Corman, with a screenplay by Charles Griffith, Little Shop of Horrors has become a musical theatre favourite through its unusual combination of humour, horror, romance, memorable music and the larger-than-life Audrey II.

The production will run at Teatru Manoel from 23rd October to 1st November 2026. For more information and tickets, visit Teatru Manoel’s website.