The macabre comic romp 'The Little Shop of Horrors' delighted packed audiences in the King's School's first ever drama production at their new £60 million site.
King's young actors have been waiting to get their teeth into a big show since moving to the school's new campus in 2020, but Covid thus-far meant large packed audiences were not permitted. Now their dreams have come true in Menken and Ashman's Sixties nightmare musical, now a modern classic.
The plot centres on an ever more bloodthirsty, man-eating Venus Flytrap that makes short work of the ingénues and misfits that try to profit from its murderous quirks.
Directed by King's Head of Drama, Donald Forbes and Olivia Soutter, this multifaceted production was a celebration of artifice, effect and fabulous acting skills from a cast that celebrated every morsel of its carnivorous potential.
Starry-eyed yet ultimately doomed young sweethearts Audrey and Seymour played by Jen Rutley and Angus Rutherford set the tone for what one hopes might be a happy ending. One almost believes their subtle sensibilities must be rewarded so endearing and enchanting are their motives, but don't hold your breath. As the plot twists and turns, the versatile leads, Jen and Angus, both touch our hearts yet appall our moral compass as they are played with devastating clarity by the young leads. This spoof of the Fifties B movie horror flick has its share of malevolent wrong doers and Ben O'Donnell turns the ruthless dentist Orin into a figure of contempt with a charismatic display.
Rory McCabe too, as the unsuspecting storeowner, Mr Mushnik, milk, indeed, one might even say bleeds, every sweet and sour nuance from his performance.
Off stage, it was the voice of the plant Toby Fraser who raised the tone from peculiar to menacing to devastating with perfect pitch. The puppeteers inside the impressive and ever-increasing stage plant, Caoimhe Durkin, Ben Kay and Jamie Pearce synced perfectly with his mesmerising tones.
The piece's fast-flowing pace and musical force was propelled by the Ronettes, a Second Century BC Greek chorus turned charmingly alluring Motown all girl group, performed with gusto and glam by Freya Ambrey Brosnahan, Tali Doran, Phoebe Harrison, Maddy Holden, Amelia Philpotts, Daisy Webb and Natasha Williams.
They formed just part of a wonderful musical backdrop with a 12-piece band directed by Ian Crawford doing full justice to the show's many standards.
It was the first major production in the King's School 400 seat Jackson Hall, it won't be the last, but it will be one of the most memorable.