Theatre
Interview
Backstage Pass: Little Shop of Horrors
The first ever all-Irish production of Little Shop of Horrors comes to Bord Gáis Energy Theatre this week, running until 9 August.
This new production of the Broadway and Hollywood favourite, presented by Bord Gáis Energy Theatre and TheatreworX Productions, brings the spellbinding blend of comedy, horror, and rock ‘n’ roll to Dublin in a show unlike any you’ve seen before.
Follow Seymour, a hapless florist, as he stumbles upon Audrey II, a mysterious plant with a dark secret—a promise of fame, fortune, and romance, as long as he can keep it well-fed!
We caught up with Puppet Designer and Puppeteer Chris Corroon ahead of the show’s opening to chat all things puppets, Superman and the first ever in-house production at Bord Gáis Energy Theatre.
Can you please introduce yourself and your role in the show?
My name is Chris Carroon, and I am the puppet designer for Audrey II for the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre and TheatreworX production of Little Shop of Horrors, and I’m also the creator and the puppeteer in the show.
What responsibilities do these roles cover?
Tiredness! So I designed the all four pods for the show itself, and created them with the assistance of Barry Dunne and I’m also puppeteering it in the show as well. So I’m from crew to cast.
What does a typical day in the theatre look like for you?
A typical day in the theatre? It’s a lot of yawning, it’s a lot of smiles, it’s a lot of laughs, and it’s a very, very enjoyable experience with the cast and crew that we have. Everybody’s on board to get this to where it needs to be. It’s the first in-house Irish production, so everybody’s just excited to get to stage.
You’ve had a number of roles in theatre. You’ve been a panto dame, a director, a choreographer, and now you are a puppet designer. How do you find moving between the roles?
I jump between roles, I like to be busy. So my brain, my brain is best when it’s busy. And it’s Claire Tighe! Anytime Claire Tighe rings my phone, I answer because I don’t know what the job’s going to be and it’s never going to be boring. So I find it very exciting, and I’m grateful to her for all the opportunities she brings my way.
This is an iconic character to bring to life, so when she rang me and asked me, I was like, yep, in like Flynn.
How did you get into puppet design and puppeteering?
So puppet design, I was knee high to a grasshopper, and I saw The Sound of Music and the scene where they do the puppet show – I just was in awe of that. Then growing up and seeing Sesame Street and that, and then I had previously created a whole cast of characters for production of Avenue Q, and it kind of just went from there. It was just something that I found that I loved and started creating from there.
If someone wanted to have a career in puppet design, what would you recommend to them?
Don’t be shy, try everything and make the mistakes, because you’re gonna make a lot of them. It’s very creative world to be in. So literally, pull from all avenues, and it’s really about understanding how a puppet moves as well as just creating it.
How did you balance taking inspiration from previous productions while also adding your own touches?
That was important to me, because I love the original movie, and I love the newer version of the movie with Rick Moranis, and it was important to me to kind of get that influence of it. Because for me, Little Shop of Horrors is Audrey II. When I see that plant, I absolutely just fall all over the show. So I took little elements of what I’d like the structure to be, but then gave it my own flair just to make sure I’m not copying anyone.
Which stage of Audrey II’s growth is your favourite?
My favourite is actually the largest one, because it’s the easiest to handle. Most people to think the smaller ones are a lot easier to control, but I have created Pod Four, which is her last giant piece we see, and it’s so easy to handle. I’m not sweating as much!
What makes this show special to work on?
This show is special because, like I said, it’s the first all Irish in-house production. Everybody is just on board to get where it needs to be, and hopefully it’s the start of something really, really big in Ireland that people can stay at home, they can work from here, and Stephen Falloon and Claire Tighe are doing their damnedest to make that a reality.
David Corenswet, who plays Superman in the recent film, once played Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors. Do you foresee yourself following this pipeline to
Hollywood?
Well, I’d probably like to not be stuck in the plant next time. I would love any opportunity. As I say, if you contact me and you want me on the gig, I’ll clean the toilets!
What is your favourite musical number in the show?
My favourite musical number, there’s a few, but definitely ‘Skid Row’ is one there that everybody loves. It’s a very hard question to answer, but Jacqueline Brunton’s rendition of ‘Suddenly, Seymour’, her and David are just absolutely amazing at it.
Who is easier to work with? Children, animals or puppets?
Do you know what? I’m going to say children, because I’m six-foot-four and they listen. Puppets, they have a mind of their own sometimes. And animals, you never know what you’re getting.
How would you describe Little Shop of Horrors in three words?
Little Shop of Horrors in three words? I would say bizarre. I would say fun and energetic.
Little Shop of Horrors runs at Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin from 25 July until 9 August. Tickets are available HERE.
