Sir Ian McKellen Lends Voice to London Am-Dram's Production of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

Veteran of stage and screen Sir Ian McKellen has lent his vocal talents to a central London amateur dramatic society's upcoming production of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS after members heard him declare his desire to be in a musical in a recent Radio 4 interview.

The Lord of the Rings, X-Men and multi-award winning stage star has provided a recording for the 'Voice Not Unlike God' - the narrator who introduces the beloved musical comedy with the ominous words 'On the 21st day of the month of September, in an early year of a decade not too long before our own, the human race suddenly encountered a deadly threat to its very existence, and this terrifying enemy surfaced, as such enemies often do, in the seemingly most innocent and unlikely of places...'

McKellen adds his vocal talents to a cast of 17 for Geoids Musical Theatre's production at London's Bridewell Theatre later this month.

'We were thrilled that Sir Ian agreed to contribute his unmistakable voice to our production,' said the show's director Chris Adams. 'We are all enormous fans of his stage and screen work as well his contribution to LGBTQ+ activism, so it's going to be exciting to hear him open our production every night with the gravitas that the show's famous prologue deserves'.

'When we heard that Sir Ian wanted to be in a musical, we decided to get in touch and offer him the opportunity to be in ours,' added producer Giles Burden. 'We didn't really expect a reply - he's a busy man, after all - but we're delighted that he was up for it. We have a fabulous, talented cast so the addition of Sir Ian's voice is the cherry on the cake'.

The rest of the cast is comprised of Katy Robinson (Audrey), James Thacker (Seymour), Tom Outhwaite (Mushnik), Joe Brown (Orin Scrivello), Gemma Davies (Chiffon), Sabrina Edwards (Crystal), Tasha Msanide (Ronnette), Hannah Roberts (Audrey II's voice), Daniel Paul (Audrey II puppetry) and Alexandra Thomas, Basil Zafiropoulous, Ella Carter, Emma Fleming, Isla Brendon, James Marsh, Katie Monk and Sean Westwood (Ensemble). Dominic Bull is Musical Director and Will Emery is Choreographer.

Tickets can be purchased from https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/geoids

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

BRIDEWELL THEATRE, BRIDE LANE, LONDON, EC4Y 8EQ

26 - 30 APRIL 2022

ABOUT 'LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS'

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS takes us to streets of Skid Row, where for a bunch of misfits, life is full of broken dreams and dead ends. But suddenly, there's hope on the horizon for flower shop assistant, Seymour, when following a solar eclipse he discovers and cultivates a mysterious new plant with killer potential and a blood thirsty appetite.

This "mean green mutha from Outer Space" seems to promise Seymour all his heart desires: fame, fortune and even the love of his kind, sweet, co-worker Audrey. Is this his long-awaited ticket out of Skid Row? But at what cost?

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS is the stage musical of Roger Corman's hilariously zany film, with screenplay by Charles Griffith. With a book and lyrics by Howard Ashman, and music from Alan Menken, who has composed numerous Disney films including Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, and Beauty and the Beast. A horror comedy rock musical, popular songs include the likes of Skid Row (Downtown), Somewhere That's Green, and Suddenly, Seymour.

Originally produced by The WPA Theatre (Kyle Renick, Producing Director). Originally produced at the Orpheum Theatre, New York City by The WPA Theatre, David Geffen, Cameron Mackintosh and The Shubert Organization.

This amateur production is presented by arrangement with Music Theatre International (Europe). All authorised performance materials are also supplied by MTI Europe
www.mtishows.co.uk

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS was originally Directed by Howard Ashman with Musical Staging by Edie Cowan.

ABOUT GEOIDS MUSICAL THEATRE

Geoids Musical Theatre is an amateur company rehearsing and performing in central London. Originally established in 1930 by Gilbert and Sullivan-loving Geology and Geography students of King's College, London, the company has since lost its connections with the University and broadened its musical output beyond G&S to take in classic and contemporary musical theatre.

Becoming a registered charity in 2009 (charity number 112876) and affiliating with NODA (National Operatic and Dramatic Association), Geoids strives to produce quality shows with the highest performance and production values.

Geoids recognises the importance of all people who come together on stage and back stage, to create entertaining and engaging theatre and seeks to establish a supportive environment where members can enjoy, learn, and develop their skills through this process.

Visit https://www.geoidsmt.co.uk/ for more details or follow @geoidsmusicalt on social media.