Following the announcement of their first-ever co-production, Derby Theatre and Northern Stage are delighted to announce who will play Audrey and Seymour for their dazzling and darkly comic 2026 production of the iconic Little Shop of Horrors.
Stepping into the role of the endlessly hopeful Audrey will be Amena El-Kindy who can currently be seen playing Éponine in the West End version of Les Misérables. Other credits include: Beautiful – The Carole King Musical (Curve and UK Tour), Robin Hood: The Legend for Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre and The Rock n Roll Panto at Liverpool Everyman Theatre.
The role of Seymour Krelborn, a hapless flower shop assistant who discovers a mysterious plant with a deadly secret (it feeds on human blood!) will be played by Kristian Cunningham. Kristian hails from Derbyshire with credits including: Dick Whittington for Derby Arena; various pantomimes for Little Wolf Entertainment; Associate Director on Grease for Dubai Opera House; Jamie in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie for KTCo and Musical Staging on Blonde: Marilyn Monroe Musical. Kristian is also the Creative Director of KTCo Studios, one of the East Midlands’ leading performing arts schools.
Sarah Brigham (Artistic Theatre and CEO, Derby Theatre and Director of Little Shop of Horrors):
“I’m incredibly excited to be working with Amena and Kristian in our new production of Little Shop of Horrors. Both actors blew me away at auditions, and not only had fantastic singing voices, but showed a real understanding of the heart of the show. Around Amena and Kristian, we are building an exciting band of actor-musicians to take on the other key roles. I’m really excited to start work with them.”
Natalie Ibu (Artistic Director, Northern Stage):
“We can’t wait to bring this cult classic of a musical comedy to audiences in Newcastle and Derby, and to watch Amena and Kristian bring their own fresh perspectives to the iconic roles of Audrey and Seymour. Little Shop of Horrors sees the return of musical theatre to Northern Stage for the first time since the hugely successful The Last Ship in 2018. We know Newcastle is a city of music lovers, and they’re in for a real treat.”
Little Shop of Horrors is a deliciously dark, delightfully tongue-in-cheek musical with a killer soundtrack that has thrilled audiences for more than 40 years. This exciting co-production will take over the main stage auditoriums at both venues between April and June this year in a bold, actor-musician production, opening at Northern Stage from Friday 8 to Saturday 23 May before transferring to Derby Theatre from Saturday 30 May to Saturday 20 June. All performances will feature creative integrated captions, ensuring the production is accessible to all.
Packed with unforgettable songs like Skid Row (Downtown), Suddenly Seymour, Somewhere That’s Green and Feed Me (Git It!), this outrageous musical promises killer tunes, unexpected laughs and larger-than-life characters
