WELSH RUGBY LEGEND GARETH THOMAS IS READY TO GET GREEN!
Gareth Thomas returns to Pembrokeshire to take on the role of Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors at The Boulevard Theatre.
Welsh rugby legend Gareth “Alfie” Thomas is swapping the rugby pitch for
something considerably greener as he returns to Pembrokeshire to join the cast
of Little Shop of Horrors as the show’s infamous, larger-than-life, man-eating
plant, Audrey II. Following his hugely successful run as the Genie in Aladdin, The
Big Pembrokeshire Pantomime last Christmas, Gareth is heading back to the county and this time he has one very simple request...FEED ME!
Gareth became a firm favourite with Pembrokeshire audiences during Aladdin,
throwing himself into the madness of pantomime and proving that there is much
more to the former Wales and British & Irish Lions captain than rugby.
Now he is preparing for a very different theatrical challenge, bringing his
personality, unmistakable voice and sense of fun to one of musical theatre’s
most outrageous characters.
Gareth Thomas said: “I had such an incredible time in Pembrokeshire doing Aladdin. The audiences were brilliant, the whole company made me feel so welcome and I genuinely loved every minute of it, so when Drew asked me if I fancied coming back and becoming a giant, talking, man-eating plant... how could I possibly say no?
“I’ve been a rugby player, I’ve been a Genie and now apparently I’m a plant! I’m
not entirely sure where my career goes after this, but I absolutely cannot wait.
Audrey II is such a brilliant character and we are going to have a lot of fun with it.”
The cult musical comedy Little Shop of Horrors tells the story of meek flower-shop
assistant Seymour Krelborn, who discovers a strange and unusual plant that
promises him everything he has ever dreamed of.
There is, unfortunately, one tiny problem. It has a taste for blood.
As Audrey II grows, so does Seymour’s fame, but the plant’s appetite quickly
becomes impossible to satisfy, leading to one of musical theatre’s funniest, darkest
and most gloriously ridiculous stories.
Featuring iconic songs including Suddenly, Seymour, Somewhere That’s Green,
Dentist! and the instantly recognisable title number, Little Shop of Horrors has
become one of the world’s best-loved musicals.
Director Drew Baker said: “I’m absolutely thrilled that Gareth is coming back to Pembrokeshire. We had such a brilliant time with him during Aladdin and audiences completely took him to their hearts.
“Audrey II needs somebody with enormous personality. It is cheeky, dangerous,
demanding, outrageous and completely unmissable, so naturally I thought of
Gareth!”
Drew added:
“One of the things I love about Gareth is that he completely commits to whatever we throw at him. He came into Aladdin ready to have fun and became such an important part of the company. When we started talking about Audrey II, the idea of Gareth voicing this enormous killer plant just made us laugh immediately, and once you hear it, you can't really imagine anybody else doing it.
“This production of Little Shop of Horrors is going to be big, bold, ridiculous
and enormous fun. And yes, we are building him a very, very big plant!”
Gareth’s return follows the continuing ambition to bring together outstanding
local performers with well-known names for major productions in
Pembrokeshire.
Drew continued: “There is something really special about being able to create productions like this here in Pembrokeshire. Gareth could perform anywhere, so the fact that he enjoyed his time with us enough to want to come back means a huge amount.
“Anybody who saw him as the Genie knows how much fun he brought to the stage.
Audrey II is going to let him take that even further. I suspect audiences are going to
see a side of Gareth Thomas they have definitely never seen before!”
And Gareth already has one warning for audiences:
“Come and see the show, have a brilliant night and whatever you do... DON’T FEED
THE PLANT!” LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
Directed by Drew Baker
At The Boulevard Theatre, Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire
24th – 26th September
Tickets are available from The Boulevard Theatre at www.boulevard-theatre.com.
With a killer score, a giant talking plant, one seriously unhinged dentist and now a
Welsh rugby legend hungry for blood, this is one trip to the florist that
Pembrokeshire audiences won't want to miss.
Little Shop of Horrors is coming... and Gareth Thomas is getting
hungry. FEED. ME. ALFIE.