A classic comedy that is a horror and musical all in one, has hit in the Neptune Theatre stage in Halifax.

Artistic Director of Little Shope of Horrors, Jeremy Webb tells our newsroom, his jaw hit the floor when he first saw the movie 40 years ago.

“It is the most, lucky, campy, over the top comedy musical I have ever seen.”

He says it is an “amazing” story about a “dweeby plant shop employee” who grows an exotic plant that turns out to be an alien, “hell bent on taking over the world and eating all of humanity.”

Webb says, you actually see that happening on stage.

Having a blast

Webb chooses all of the shows at Neptune but is contracted to direct only three a year.

He says, with this one, there was never any doubt.

“I love doing comedies. I love doing musicals and I personally love sci-fi. I’m a bit of a nerd.”

Huge plant puppets

There are four man-eating plants.

Six to eight people worked on them every single day with heights ranging from a nine-inch hand puppet, to much, much taller.

“They are gigantic. They move; they manipulate. I’m not even exaggerating. It’s 14 feet high. So, it moves and swallows people whole and takes over the stage.”

Why do the show now?

Webb says considering the musical is about giant, unusual creatures invading and eating people, it resembles what is happening in the world now.

“There’s a big orange monster trying to take over the world just south of the border making all kinds of claims and threats. I think I’m allowed to say because I think a lot of us feel the same way. It’s kind of weird. Kind of dumb. Kind of unbelievable.”

He adds, we need to laugh and be entertained.

Little Shop of Horrors is playing now.