Crowds gathered in Warwick Academy's Phoebe Purvis Memorial Hall on Tuesday night for the unveiling of 'Little Shop of Horrors'.

Numbers of students from schools across the island filled the seats and showed their support for the hard-working Warwick Academy thespians.

The show went off to an exciting start with an awesome opening involving the entire cast. The audience was quickly captivated; with the show starting with two opening numbers; highlighted by solos from the lead actors.

Everything on the night was on point, from the interaction between audience and cast members, to the perfected 'Skidrow' accent on the leading roles.

The cast was lead by outstanding performances from 15-year-old Rowan Vickers as Seymour Krelborn, and Hannah Dill and Izabella Arnold; aged 16 and 14, who both shared the role of Audrey.

They were supported by Korrin Lightbourne; who played the forceful role of Mr. Mushnik, and the dynamic trio; Crystal, Chiffon and Ronnette who completed every choral number with perfection; played by the talented Aimee Bento, Brittany Cox and Shana Parker.

Chris West received rave reviews from audience members for his performance as Orin Scrivello DDS; captivating everyone from his entrance into the hall on his motorcycle, to his encounters with patients with the use of his 'laughing gas'. Rajai Denbrook however, pulled out all stops for the audience with his remarkable performance as Audrey II, the mysterious, overgrown talking plant.

This mega-sized phenomenon undoubtedly stole the show. So much so that this play is being considered as one of the best dramatic productions the Island has seen. The chemistry and enjoyment between the actors onstage was clearly evident; through the delivery of their dialogue and musical numbers throughout the play.

The hard work and dedication the cast and technical team put in was noted by all audience members. With a heart-warming storyline, a talented cast of actors and singers, and an abnormally large talking plant, Warwick Academy's production of 'Little Shop of Horrors' is undoubtedly something to remember.

After the success of the opening night, with a full house in the Phoebe Pervis Memorial Hall, The Royal Gazette sat down with a few members of the cast to get some remarks regarding their performances. Rowan Vickers, who played the leading role of Seymour Krelborn, has been in numerous dramatic productions.

When asked how this role differs from others he has played in the past, Rowan replied, "Most of the roles I've done in the past – 'Sleeping Beauty', 'Henry V', for example, I've had to play characters with overpowering personalities. So 'suddenly' getting a character that is meek, shy and is from 'the bottom of the food chain' was different. It was very challenging but also a lot of fun."

Brittany Cox was one of the three leading ladies who led all the musical selections throughout the show.

In total the show will be performed five times with a full audience, by the closing night tomorrow. Therefore, there is bound to be a strain on everyone's voices.

Miss Cox said that throughout the preparation for this production she is "constantly drinking plenty of tea and room temperature water". She said that she "was worried that her voice would crack during a performance because she is not professionally trained. However she is confident and has had help and encouragement from her peers and Drama director, Matthew McGowan."

Finally we were able to get a quick word with Rajai Denbrook, the voice and puppeteer of Audrey II. Rajai is a former student of Warwick Academy, who graduated this past May.

He came back to lend his talents to this play and ended up giving an unforgettable performance. The Royal Gazette asked Rajai, 'Having to manoeuvre and produce the voice for the plant must have been a challenge? How difficult was it having such a demanding role?'

He replied simply, 'It was actually easier than I thought. You never focus on how difficult a job is; because that will just lead to failure. If you just focus on what you're capable of, you'll get it done.'

It was evident from the cast's performances onstage and great attitudes shown after the curtains closed, that this production was a success. Warwick Academy's PPMH will be filled with some of its best talent up until the finale show tomorrow night. From the reactions from the audience, Warwick Academy's 'Little Shop of Horrors' can easily be considered one of Bermuda's best dramatic productions to date.