Nonsuch High School for Girls put on their annual school production on the 10th and 11th of February and this year they chose the comedy classic ‘Little shop of horrors’. The musical lasted for one and a half hours and every minute of it was thoroughly entertaining.

 

‘Little shop of horrors’, set in America in a ‘decade not too long before our own’, follows the story of Seymour, the genius botanist who raises the murderous plant that feeds on human blood and flesh – the Audrey 2, named after the girl he loves. After discovering this brilliant plant, Seymour gains nationwide fame so he must continue to raise this bloodthirsty plant resulting in a downward spiral. It goes without saying; the musical contains classic hit songs such as “Skid Row”, “Somewhere that’s green” and “Suddenly, Seymour”.

 

At its core, ‘Little shop of horrors’ is a love story and the chemistry between the actresses playing Audrey and Seymour was undeniable and the whole dynamic between the cast was wonderful to witness. The Ronnettes bought glamour to each scene and Orin the Dentist pretty much reduced everyone to tears of laughter and was by far my favourite character. The casting choices were excellent and the acting and singing was to such a high standard. It was very clear that the musical was technically demanding due to the enormous green, wooden, talking plant that took up half the stage for the second act which looked magnificent and terrifying at the same time! The play was scored beautifully and the lighting really portrayed the mood of each scene.

 

A student who came to watch the show said “I really enjoyed the life size props that were used as they really made the whole performance come to life. Additionally, the soundtrack was amazing with some of the songs replaying in my head even after the performance was over.”

 

Overall, I give Nonsuch’s production of ‘Little shop of horrors’ a 9 out of 10 for turning the story into a hilarious yet petrifying musical. I commend the talented actresses and directors for this wonderful production.

 

 By Malinya Wijekoon