From the Director
Welcome to the Ryan Theatre and thank you for joining us for this year’s production of Little Shop of Horrors. Few musicals balance comedy, chaos, and genuine heart quite like this one, and it has been a joy to watch our students tackle its strange and colourful world with such boldness and imagination.
From the first rehearsal, the cast were eager to bring Skid Row to life, not just through its memorable lead characters but through the wider community that surrounds them. This production places special emphasis on that community: the waitresses, street sweepers, chefs, customers, patients, vendors, and all the residents who make Skid Row the bustling, unpredictable place it is. Our expanded ensemble has built a world that feels textured and alive, reminding us that every character, no matter how small their role, has a story worth telling.
This year’s company represents a truly collaborative effort across the school, with pupils involved from Year 8 through to Upper Sixth. Many students have taken on responsibilities far beyond performing, working as make-up artists, costume supervisors and assistants, puppet masters, choreographers, and creative problem-solvers in every corner of the production. Their willingness to step into these roles with professionalism and enthusiasm has greatly enriched the final result and reflects the remarkable breadth of talent within our community.
Little Shop asks big questions beneath its laughter and absurdity. What do we sacrifice for success? Who do we become when temptation whispers loudly? And how easy is it to ignore the consequences when our desires grow faster than we can control?
These themes have sparked wonderful discussions throughout the rehearsal process, and I am incredibly proud of the maturity and curiosity our students have shown in exploring them.
I am equally grateful to the Creative Team, whose passion and expertise have shaped this production at every stage. From the meticulous musical and technical work to the highly physical choreography and the intricate demands of operating a plant with a mind of its own, their dedication has pushed our young performers to give their very best. Backstage, our crew have worked tirelessly to bring Audrey II - and the world around it- to life with precision and flair.
The Ryan Theatre, with its excellent facilities, has played an essential role in enhancing the quality of our production. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Harrow School Enterprise Limited, and all the staff who have supported us throughout the rehearsal process with their expertise and professionalism. What you will see tonight is the result of months of commitment, ensemble spirit, and shared laughter. The cast have mastered harmonies, built characters from the ground up, survived the dentist’s chair, and even learned to coexist with a rather hungry plant. They have grown not just as performers, but as collaborators and storytellers.
It has been a privilege to guide them through this process, and I hope you enjoy the performance as much as we have enjoyed creating it. Thank you for supporting our young artists and for being part of this special evening.
We hope tonight’s journey through Skid Row strikes a chord and leaves you singing all the way home.
From the MUSICAL Director
Little Shop of Horrors first premiered as an Off-Broadway musical in 1982 before being revived for the Broadway stage in 2003. Its story playfully parodies the low-budget horror and science-fiction films of the 1950s, exaggerating the familiar tropes and melodramatic flair of the era. The musical score follows suit: each number drawing inspiration from 1950s musical styles including rock, rhythm and blues, and doo-wop complete with knowingly clichéd and humorous musical moments.
Despite its tongue-in-cheek tone, composer Alan Menken has crafted a very successful series of numbers which have endured in popularity to this day. Songs such as “Somewhere That’s Green” and “Suddenly, Seymour” have become classics in their own right, widely referenced and affectionately parodied in film and comedy.
Alongside the expected solos, duets, and chorus numbers, the show features a group of urchins, here performed by Leanne Empty, Rebecca Edwards, Lara Bhatt, Sophia Appleton, Catherine Cook, and Sierra-Rose Andrews. Acting as a modern “Greek chorus,” they guide the narrative, comment on or encourage the principal characters. Their presence in the musical is just as essential as the lead roles of Seymour (Amaroo Brown) and Audrey (Zara De Souza-Gilroy).
For Menken, Little Shop of Horrors was a breakthrough. A graduate of New York University’s College of Arts and Sciences, he spent several years struggling to establish himself before the shows success propelled him into the spotlight. Following its Off-Broadway triumph, the musical transferred to major theatres in Los Angeles and London, toured nationally, and was adapted into a popular film in 1986.
The success of Little Shop of Horrors also launched Menken into a prolific collaboration with Disney, for whom he composed scores for beloved films including The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), Pocahontas (1995), Enchanted (2007), and many others. His contributions to musical theatre continued as well, resulting in an extensive Broadway career. To date, Menken has been honoured with eight Academy Awards, seven Golden Globes, 11 Grammy Awards, one Tony Award, and numerous additional nominations.
We hope you enjoy the performance and remember... Don’t feed the plants!
SEYMOUR KRELBORN
AUDREY
THE PLANT - AUDREY 11
CAST
Amaroo Brown
Zara De Souza-Gilroy
Hannah Pyke & Liam Lynch (puppetry)
MR. MUSHNIK
ORIN SCRIVELLO
CRYSTAL
RONNETTE
CHIFFON
VELVET
MELODY
PEACHES
CUSTOMERS
RADIO ANNOUNCER
MR BERNSTEIN
MRS LUCE
SKIP SNIP
Arun Karunadasa
Tobi Fagbulu & Shlok Shah
Rebecca Edwards
Leanne Empty
Sierra Andrews
Lara Bhatt
Catherine Cook
Sophia Appleton
Summer Mahammed & Finn Murphy
Kal-El Mehta
Raphael Berry
Ayaan Shabbir
Giyaan Thusekaran & Arnav Kumar
Nikhil Kelshiker
Sahil Patel
ENSEMBLE
The Ensemble makes up the residents of Skid Row, from street sweepers and waitresses, to dentist patients and police officers.
Ethan Adonteng
Saatvik Aggarwal
Seyed Ali Jalili
Raphael Berry
Nile Charles
Aaron Chogley
Arushi Garg
Srikar Gundubogula
Adam Halim
Leila Hasan
Ollie Hoskins
Imogen Jervis
Rohan Jeyendran
Venpa Kamaleswaran
Sofia Kandeva
Shivani Kavia
Ania Nahata
Elisa Nasim
Dhiya Parekh
Ved Parekh
Dhyan Patel
Garv Patel
Leo Pieczykolan
Anaya Rai
Ayaan Shabbir
Sofia Shabbir
Dhiyan Suganthan
Giyaan Thusekaran
Daniel Vazquez-Torrez
creative team
Director Ms Ana Costas
Assistant Director/ Choreographer
Musical Director
Assistant Choreographers
Production Manager/ Sound Designer
Lighting Designer
RF and Fiber
Operations Manager
Network, Systems and Production Sound Designer
Musical Programming
Front of House Manager
Costumes
Costume Assistant
Hair and Make-up Supervisors
Hair and Make-up Artists
Props
Prop Makers
Miss Lisa Lee
Mr Andrew Furniss
Rebecca Edwards (Da-doo), Bella Nanthakumar (Ya Never Know) & Cristian Mitchell (Meek Shall Inherit)
Mr Luke Rao (OL)
Mr James Wakerell
Mr Joseph Calvey (OL)
Mr Marco Viscito (OL)
Mr Ryan Marshall
Mr Leon Felgate
Mrs Korinna Vosper
Dr Lisa Andrews & Sahil Patel
Bella Nanthakumar & Raphaella Alexandrou
Lian Alwaheidi, Ons Masmoudi, Harshiney Atchuthan, Saffie-Rae Gandecha, Ruby Johal, Lena Piotrowska, Nancy Siddy & Zenyah White
Mr Leon Felgate
Mrs Laura Godfrey, Ms Kim Coplee, Zac Cope, Reuben De Souza-Gilroy, Arjun Dev Nagda, Keshav Nagda, Sahib Neote, Finn Murphy, Jason Scott & Cassie Zhou
STAGE MANAGEMENT & TECHNICAL CREW
Stage Manager
Associate Lighting Designer
Followspot Operators
Sound Assistant
Zac Cope
Dhru Hirani
Shaan Khoda & Arjun Mehta
Zreh Dhillon
Crew Anika Nahata, Aryan Patel, Oliver Scott & Aston Walker
Orchestra
Conductor/Keyboard1
Keyboard 2
Electric Guitar
Bass Guitar
Drum Kit
Mr Andrew Furniss
Mr Rhys Bowden
Mr Luke Rao (OL)
Mr James Smyth
Mr Bertram Atkinson (OL)
Amaroo as
SEYMOUR KRELBORN
Amaroo is a Year 11 Music and Academic Scholar who will be playing the role of ‘Seymour Krelborn’. He is a passionate performer and has immersed himself in many performance opportunities, ranging from several concerts and shows. This includes Made in Dagenham, The Sound of Music, and The Addams Family. He believes that the skills from Music and Drama interlink and make him a better performer. Amaroo is keen to take on all performance opportunities that come his way and would like to thank the Little Shop of Horrors cast and crew for being so welcoming and making this a wonderful experience for everyone.
Zara as Audrey
Zara is a Year 11 Drama Scholar. Outside of school, she has performed as part of the ensemble in Hairspray, Fame Junior, Addams Family, Oliver! and Cats. While at John Lyon, Zara has enjoyed principal roles in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time as ‘Mrs Alexander’, The Tempest as ‘Miranda’, The Sound of Music as ‘Gretl’, Made in Dagenham as ‘Barbara Castle’, and Addams Family as ‘Wednesday’. She is passionate about Drama and sings in two school bands: The R&B Group and Amplified. Zara has had fun playing the role of ‘Audrey’ and working alongside the cast. She is very excited to perform and hopes you will enjoy the production.
Hannah as Audrey II - The PLANT
Hannah is a Year 11 Academic and Drama Scholar who wants to pursue a drama career. Hannah has a passion for drama and has participated in many school musicals and attained main parts. Previously she has taken part in The Sound Of Music as ‘Brigitta’, Made in Dagenham, The Addams Family as ‘Pugsley’, she has also participated in plays, such as The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and A Monster Calls as the role of the ‘Mum’. Hannah would like to thank the cast and crew for the wonderful and memorable experience and hopes to make more in the upcoming years.
Arun as Mr. Mushnik
Arun is a Lower Sixth student and thoroughly enjoys performing in John Lyon productions. Prior to Little Shop Of Horrors, Arun performed in Oliver! as a member of the ensemble, and in DNA as ‘Jan’. In 2024, he played ‘Harry’ in A Monster Calls, and ‘Lurch’ in The Addams Family. This year, Arun looks forward to his biggest role yet as ‘Mr Mushnik’ and is excited to be performing again.
Tobi as
Orin Scrivello
Tobi is a Lower Sixth student. He has a passion for creativity in Drama and Art, and is studying both in his A-Levels. Tobi has been in many previous productions, including Made in Dagenham and The Addams Family. He is a talented and enthusiastic actor, and is looking forward to playing the role of ‘Orin Scrivello’. Tobi would like to offer his thanks to the cast and crew for making this such an enjoyable experience.
Shlok
as
Orin Scrivello
Shlockis a Year 11 Drama student and is part of the National Youth Theatre, one of the most renowned youth theatres in the country. He has also been in previous John Lyon musicals, such as The Sound of Music, Made in Dagenham and The Addams Family. Shlok has been a LAMDA pupils for the past 4 years and is currently a Grade 8, he also has a Grade 7 in singing. Drama has always been a passion for Shlok and he hopes you enjoy the performance.
Rebecca as Crystal
Rebecca is a Year 9 Drama and Music Scholar. This is her fifth production at John Lyon, and this year she is playing the part of ‘Crystal’, the leader of ‘The Urchins’. Rebecca has previous taken park in Refugee Boy, The Addams Family, A Monster Calls and Make in Dagenham. Rebecca, along with the rest of the cast and crew, has worked hard to help make the show the best that it can be and hopes you enjoy it.
Leanne as Ronnette
Leanne is a Year 10 GCSE Drama pupil and Music Scholar. This is Leanne’s musical debut and she is absolutely thrilled to be playing the role of ‘Ronnette’. She would like to thank all the cast and crew for making this a truly enjoyable and unforgettable experience.
Sierra as Chiffon
Sierra Andrews is a Year 10 pupil. She has previously performed in Made in Dagenham, The Addams Family, and A Monster Calls where she played ‘Sully’. Sierra is currently studying GCSE Drama and plans to continue her passion for performing by taking Drama at A-Level. She loves being part of the schools productions as she finds acting fun as well as rewarding, especially working with others to bring characters and stories to life.
Lara as Velvet
Lara is a Year 8 Drama pupil, at John Lyon she participates in many choirs, including the Motet Choir and the Pride of Lyons. Outside of school, Lara is a member of a theatre school and is part of Stroud Talent Agency. Her passion is acting and she aspires to be an actress when she is older. This is Lara’s first production in the Ryan Theatre and she is incredibly excited for her first opportunity as a lead character.
Catherine as Melody
Catherine is a Music and Academic Scholar in Year 9. She is ecstatic to play her debut lead role of ‘Melody’ in the musical and is beyond grateful for the opportunity. From a young age, Catherine has always enjoyed being on stage, and participates in numerous musical ensembles at school; Including singing in the Motet Choir, Pride of Lyons, The Barbershop Choir, as well as performing in the Concert Band with her clarinet and saxophone. She would like to thank the cast and crew for being so welcoming and making the production of this show a truly memorable experience.
Sophia as Peaches
Sophia is a Year 10 GCSE Drama pupil and Art scholar. She has taken part in multiple shows, such as Made in Dagenham and The Addams Family as part of the ensemble, A Monster Calls as ‘Miss Godfrey’ and Refugee Boy as ‘Mrs Fitzgerald’. She is excited to be playing the role of ‘Peaches’, one of the girls that takes the audience through the story.
Mr Luke Rao
creatives
Luke studied at John Lyon where his passion for music and audio engineering began. Having graduated from the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts with an honours degree in Sound Technology, he has worked and performed in many prestigious venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, Echo Arena Liverpool and the O2 Arena. He regularly tours with his own band and has also been fortunate enough to work with artists such as Rod Stewart, Katy Perry, Muse and many more.
Lisa is a professional dancer, choreographer and dance teacher and has worked in the industry for many years in theatre, film, ballet, television, pop tours, cabaret, and state events. Her most recent and notable credits include The Platinum Jubilee Pageant, the Queen’s 90th Birthday Celebrations and the Diamond Jubilee Pageant all at Windsor Castle. Lisa is thrilled to have been invited to work with the fabulous students at John Lyon as their choreographer for this production of Little Shop of Horrors.
Mr James Wakerell
James is the Theatre Manager of the Celia Johnson Theatre at St Paul’s Girls’ School as well as an established lighting designer. As a lighting graduate of London’s Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, James went on to work in lighting and production for highly acclaimed live events such as London 2012 Olympic Ceremonies and Glastonbury Festival as well as theatre productions such as Punchdrunk’s The Drowned Man. He specialises in theatre in education, working with many schools and organisations across London.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Ms Ana Costas and the company of Little Shop of Horrors would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to the following: Mrs Rose Hardy, Head of John Lyon, for her generous support of this production. Mr Adam Ling, for his support throughout the rehearsal process and for organising the bar. Joe O’Gorman, our LAMDA teacher, for his guidance in singing and acting rehearsals. The staff of Harrow School and the Ryan Theatre, for their professionalism, expertise, and warm hospitality. St Paul’s Girls’ School, for kindly supplying a selection of costumes and set pieces. Our talented orchestra of professional instrumentalists, whose musicianship has brought the score to life. All staff and pupils working backstage and front of house, for their hard work, commitment, and teamwork. The parents and families of our cast and crew, for their unwavering support, patience, and enthusiasm.
Future Productions
LAMDA Showcase
21 January - Boyd Campbell Hall
Spring Term Production
Monday 23 and Tuesday 24 March - Boyd Campbell Hall
National Theatre Connections Project
27 March - Wycombe Swan Theatre
This amateur production is presented by arrangement with Music Theatre International. All authorised performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.co.uk
