PERINS sports hall was almost unrecognisable as pupils performed the classic comedy-horror musical Little Shop of Horrors.

The show was just the latest in a long line of musical performances put together by the school in Alresford with previous endeavours including Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables.

Telling the tale of Seymour, a young florist living on Skid Row whose dreams all come true when he cares for a mysterious plant, the performance was an absolute delight. Despite the young age of the cast, they managed to put on an absolutely fabulous performance – even managing to outperform some grown-up actors I’ve seen!

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Particular praise should be given to Millie Wilson and Rory Scott, who played lead characters Audrey and Seymour respectively on the night I went to see the performance. Despite their ages, the pair performed brilliantly, exuding confidence in their roles that I’ve seen some professional actors struggle to match. Meanwhile, Ollie Webb as that performance’s Orin Scrivello (DDS, of course) really impressed, bringing a mixture of charm and danger to the thuggish dentist.

Hampshire Chronicle: Rory Scott and Ollie Webb were a delight to watch as Seymour and Orin Scrivello DDSRory Scott and Ollie Webb were a delight to watch as Seymour and Orin Scrivello DDS (Image: Leela Bennett)The dancing was spectacular, with jaw-dropping choreography that was expertly executed. The singing was also incredible. From Skid Row to the titular song Little Shop of Horrors, the ensemble numbers were an absolute delight, while the Be a Dentist and Suddenly Seymour were stand outs in a show full of incredible moments.

If I had a criticism for the performance (and I really am just nit-picking here), I wasn’t super happy with one of the creative decisions: to feature screens on either side of the stage showing mock-up social media pages throughout the show. While I understand the analogy the show is making (the evil plant Audrey II causing Seymour’s meteoric rise to fame is similar to social media Tik Tok stars and Instagram influencers), the screens seemed like a distraction more than anything.

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While they would work better in a recorded medium like a film, allowing viewers to go back and look for hidden easter eggs or jokes, in the live performance itself it felt like all it did was cause me to stop focusing on what myself and the rest of the audience were there to see – the absolutely incredible performances given by some incredibly talented youngsters.

Hampshire Chronicle: The multiple large dance numbers were executed perfectlyThe multiple large dance numbers were executed perfectly (Image: Leela Bennett)Overall though, it wasn’t a deal breaker, and I highly recommend you see the show if you can. A word of warning though – whatever you do, don’t feed the plants.

Little Shop of Horrors is playing at Perins School from July 12 to July 15.

Click through the gallery at the top of the article for more production photos taken by Leela Bennett.