Alice Rowell steps up to her first leading role in Horsham's Little Shop Of Horrors

She will be playing Audrey in the show with performances from Tuesday to Saturday, March 11-15 at The Capitol Theatre. Tickets are available from £19.50 from https://haods.co.uk/book-littleshop or by calling the Capitol box office on 01403 750220.

In the Broadway and Hollywood sci-fi smash hit, mild-mannered floral assistant Seymour Krelborn discovers a strange plant with a mysterious craving for fresh blood (“Feed Me!”). As the plant, named Audrey II, grows, so does Seymour’s success – but at a deadly cost…

Alice, by day an administrator in children's mental health services, has been with HAODS for 18 years: “My first show was The King And I in 2007 with the kids cast. I was 11 and I just remember the initial community and friendliness. I loved it so much that I wanted to continue. At that point I didn't really know what I was getting into. My big sister brought me along and I just loved it and I think I must have done about 18 shows with them now.

“My definite highlights would include Sister Act which was November 2021 which was the first show after Covid. The circumstances made it special. Everyone was so happy to be there but it was an amazing show and an amazing cast. Hairspray was another great one. It was an amazing show generally but it was also my first bigger role, I suppose. I've always been more in the ensemble which I've done many times and which I'm very happy with but with that one I had a few lines and some featured dancing and some harmony lines to learn.

“And I just love doing it. It is the point when you get to the stage and start to get the audience feedback. It is one of the most special things. And it's really just after all the stress and all the work that you put into the rehearsals. When you get to the show, it’s just great. And doing it with HAODS, it's just like family. I've been with them so long and everyone is so welcoming and it's always a really friendly atmosphere. It makes you feel so happy and so fulfilled as a person.”

For this latest show, her first leading role, she is Audrey: “Audrey number one. Audrey number two is the plant. Audrey is not from the best of backgrounds. She's just trying to find her way through life. She has ended up in some not very good relationships. She has been working at the flower shop for a while and has got to know Seymour who is secretly in love with her. She goes on a really nice journey from someone who's in an abusive relationship to someone who's finding out what is right for her. She's quite vulnerable to start with.

“A lot of people know the film version with Ellen Greene playing her. It is quite an iconic portrayal of Audrey but I'm not quite doing the same portrayal. I think I'm bringing more humanity to her, not so extreme. She is very high pitched in her voice in the film and I'm doing certain elements of that but I'm trying to make her much more normal.”