Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) in association with Woodward Productions have announced the principal cast for the Broadway and Hollywood sci-fi smash musical revival, Little Shop of Horrors, which will open at the Cremorne Theatre from 3 January – 15 February 2026.
Maxwell Simon (Muriel’s Wedding The Musical, Bananaland) will star as Seymour, while Kirby Burgess (Grease, Heathers The Musical) will star as Audrey. Matthew McKenzie (Beauty and the Beast, Cats) and Charles Ball (Boy Swallows Universe, Holding Achilles) will bring the infamous Audrey II to life through voice work and puppetry.
Maxwell Simon is a graduate of the Music Theatre program at Victorian College of the Arts. Maxwell made their professional musical theatre debut as The Balladeer / Lee Harvey Oswald in Assassins for Hayes Theatre Co. Most recently, Maxwell starred as Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance, also for Hayes Theatre Co. Maxwell is currently performing as Berger in Hair in Melbourne.
Other roles include Grinpayne in The Grinning Man for Salty Theatre, Norm Waxman in Jersey Boys for Prospero Arts, Ex in Bananaland for Sydney and Brisbane Festivals, Bjorn Ulvaeus in Muriel’s Wedding The Musical national tour for Global Creatures, Greg Connell in The Boy From Oz for The Production Company, Ensemble / u/s Johnny and Tunny in Green Day’s American Idiot for Shake & Stir, The Balladeer / Lee Harvey Oswald in Assassins, the Sydney Opera House remount.
Maxwell toured Australia with Moulin Rouge The Musical! for Global Creatures as principal cover for Christian and The Duke. Maxwell is a Glug Award recipient for Most Outstanding Performance by a Newcomer in Assassins.
Kirby Burgess is an award-winning actress known for her captivating performances on stage and screen. Kirby has starred in roles such as Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman in Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story On Stage, Rizzo in Grease, Heather Chandler in Heathers: The Musical, the high-energy cheerleading star Campbell in Bring It On: The Musical, Kathryn Merteuil in Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical and the high-flying Ringmaster in Barnum. The latter earned her a Green Room Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
Her role as ‘80s rock queen Linda in The Wedding Singer earned her a prestigious Green Room Award for Best Supporting Performer in a Musical.
Most recently, Kirby originated the dual roles of Marion Keisker and Ann-Margretand served as Assistant Choreographerin Elvis: A Musical Revolution. Kirby’s performance earned her another Green Room Award nomination for Best Supporting Performer, and her team took out the win for Best Choreography in a Musical.
Kirby Burgess is a proud hard of hearing actor who champions resilience and self-belief, reminding all performers to never let anyone or anything tell them they can’t.
Matthew McKenzie has over 15 years of international experience in the performing arts. He trained and performed with the Jamaica Musical Theatre Company for several years. His theatre credits in the Caribbean include Beauty and the Beast, Cats, and Dreamgirls.
In the last four years, he has played prominent roles in Gold Coast musical theatre productions, including Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Little Shop of Horrors, Jekyll and Hyde: The Musical, and Hair.
Matthew has also graced Brisbane stages playing the beloved role of Sebastian in The Little Mermaid and Jim Conley in Parade.
Charles Ball is a theatre maker and performance artist specialising in contemporary dance, physical theatre, aerial, and puppetry. Through works with leading companies in Australia and internationally, he has developed a unique skillset of physical storytelling, weaving expressive movement with theatricality and visual art.
He toured Australia and North America with Bluey’s Big Play, playing Bandit in the live production and TV adaptation. Other notable credits include Boy Swallows Universe for Queensland Theatre, Little Red Riding Hood for Queensland Ballet, Holding Achilles for Dead Puppet Society & Legs On The Wall, Aida for Opera Australia with Expressions Dance Company, The Arrival for Red Leap Theatre, The Ninth Wave for The Farm, and Love Lust Lost for Broad Encounters.
With Music by Alan Menken and Book and Lyrics by Howard Ashman, since its premiere Off-Off-Broadway in 1982, Little Shop of Horrors has enraptured millions of theatregoers worldwide. In 1986 it was adapted into a film in starring Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene and Steve Martin.
In the dark comedy musical, nerdy florist Seymour Krelborn stumbles upon a new breed of plant at Mushnik’s flailing flower shop on Skid Row. Naming it ‘Audrey II’ after his co-worker crush, Seymour soon discovers the foul-mouthed, R&B-singing carnivore plant has sinister intentions.
The long-awaited revival will be directed by Alister Smith, who has realised musical adaptations of other cult classics like Bring It On, Cruel Intentions and The Wedding Singer.
Music Supervisor David Young (Frozen) and Musical Director Heidi Loveland (Carrie: The Musical) will lead a six-piece band through Little Shop of Horrors’ blend of 60s pop, doo-wop and R&B, delivering unforgettable earworms like Suddenly Seymour’, Feed Me (Git It) and Dentist!.
Designer Penny Challen, Lighting Designer Declan O’Neil and Choreographer Dan Venz will illuminate the gleeful allure of the American Dream in 1960s New York, B-Movie kitsch and meaningful silliness that is synonymous with Little Shop of Horrors.
Woodward Productions has been bringing world-class theatre to audiences around Australia and the world since 2016. Recent works include the Australian tours of The 39 Steps, The Woman in Black and Sherlock Holmes – The Mystery of the Valkyrie. Also the comedic hit A Very Naughty Christmas, Plied and Prejudice and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged).
Little Shop of Horrors runs from 3 January – 15 February 2026 at the Cremorne Theatre, QPAC.
Tickets: https://www.qpac.com.au/whats-on/2026/little-shop-of-horrors
Website: https://qpac.com.au/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/atqpac/
Images supplied.
