Pupils at The Woodroffe School, Lyme Regis, performed Little Shop of Horrors. Teacher Simon Ransome-Williams submitted his review.

From the opening, when the lights came up and the cast came on singing Little Shop of Horrors, the audience knew they were in for a treat. The set, the costumes, the make-up and the songs took them straight to life on Skid Row. A struggling florist’s shop, a forlorn orphan with a penchant for strange botany, a mean-fisted shop owner and a sweet assistant in need of the love of a good man were the ideal ingredients for a spectacular evening.

Alfie Bullmore took on the role of Seymour, an orphan with charm and humour. From his first song to the very end he faultlessly delivered an entertaining ride through the ethical nightmare that is Little Shop of Horrors. He was on stage most of the evening yet finished with the same energy that he started with. I particularly enjoyed his performance with the young potted plant, which was reminiscent of a vegetable Kermit the Frog!

His love interest was provided by Annabelle Knivitt playing Audrey. Annabelle’s singing was a delight and she delivered beautiful songs that will stay with me for a long time. “Suddenly Seymour” and Somewhere that’s Green moved me deeply. Her boss, the calculating Mrs Mushnik, played by Olivia Bedford, also sang beautifully throughout. Olivia managed to make us feel sorry for her character despite her manipulative nature, which made the ethical dilemmas in the play all the more delightfully horrible.

Undoubtedly, the villain of the piece was Orin the Dentist. Joe Urquhart seemed to have so much fun playing the character as a kind of drug-crazed Dick Dastardly! He delivered the character as a proper villain who we loved to hate. The audience certainly enjoyed his time on stage and I loved his key song Dentist. He was just singing what we were all thinking!

However, the real star of the show we never saw and that was the voice of Audrey Two, the psychotic shrub with a taste for human flesh. Kitty Ford put so much relish in to her evil laugh and promises of eternal happiness that poor Seymour never stood a chance! Kitty was supported by fantastic puppetry and some incredible dancers, who as a team really brought the wicked weed to life.

It is at this point that I should mention the fantastic job done by Tania Rees and her backstage crew. The puppets were a comic delight and incredibly well done, while the sets and scene changes were flawlessly executed. The play flowed seamlessly thanks to their efforts. The music provided was a wonderful live accompaniment from Jon Cullimore and the Woodroffe players, in conjunction with the sound and light crew they rounded off a superb show.

A play like this would not be the same without the supporting cast and again there was a lot of talent on display. The Urchins were very funny and seemed masters of the quick costume change, and the various interviewers, business moguls, shoppers and the other inhabitants of Skid Row all added a touch of class to the performance. The chorus was fantastic, singing and dancing in a tight space with precision and zest!

Well done Anne Cruwys-Finnigan! Well done cast for such an horrific, fun filled night of entertainment! We all went home singing Whatever you do, don’t feed the plants!