THE York Orchard Theatre Company will perform their third production, Little Shop Of Horrors, at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, from Wednesday to Saturday.

Founded in 2014, the company staged Jekyll And Hyde: The Musical in 2015 and The Phantom Of The Opera in February. Now they will present Howard Ashman and Alan Menken's affectionate spoof of 1950s' sci-fi movies with a production team led by producer Justine Hughes, director Megan Conway, musical director Ben Papworth, choreographer Rachel Dennison, production manager and designer Luke Hutchinson and the costumes team of Justine Hughes and Anne de Freyman.

The musical revolves around Seymour Krelborn, a down-and-out skid row floral assistant, who becomes an overnight sensation when he discovers an exotic plant with a mysterious craving for fresh blood. Soon the plant grows into an ill-tempered, foul-mouthed, R&B-singing carnivore, Audrey II, who offers him fame and fortune in exchange for feeding its growing appetite.

Principal roles go to George Stagnell as Seymour Krelborn; Beth Stevens as Audrey; Joe Collins as Mr Mushnik; Natalia Leaper as Chiffon; Phoebe Cooper as Crystal and Daisy Blue Ella as Ronette. Will Jackson and Sean Ruane will be the voice and puppeteer respectively for Audrey II.

After playing Emma in Jekyll And Hyde, "it feels incredibly strange to be getting ready to head back to the Joseph Rowntree Theatre as a director", reveals Megan Conway, in conversation with Charles Hutchinson.

What is your history of directing plays in York, Megan?

"Little Shop Of Horrors will mark my directing debut, but I completed my degree in Writing, Directing and Performance at the University of York a year ago for which I learnt about all aspects of theatre, particularly focusing on lighting design and stage management.

"I've been with York Orchard as a performer since their first show and so have drawn from my knowledge of all other areas of theatre in order to ensure that nothing gets missed."

What attracted you to directing Little Shop Of Horrors?

"With our previous production being The Phantom Of The Opera, we wanted to do something completely different without lowering any production standards. Little Shop Of Horrors offers so many opportunities and the chance to be visually and aurally stunning, which is why we decided on this musical."

Given the need for spectacle in Little Shop, how will you present Audrey II without a West End budget?

"I don't want to give too much away but the Audrey II in our production is a brand new design and a lot of work has gone on behind the scenes to ensure the illusion is as impressive as possible. You'll have to come and see the show to find out!"

What will be the distinctive characteristics of your production?

"For me, the most distinctive characteristic is the monumental talent of such a young cast. One of the biggest challenges we faced when we first started rehearsals was fitting an ensemble into a production that doesn’t actually have one.

"Apart from the plant, our set has been built and painted by us, and a lot of costumes have been made specifically for this show. I suppose what sets us apart is that all decisions are made by the group, rather than purely a production team, and we've based a lot of artistic decisions on cast feedback."

York Press:

George Stagnell and Beth Stevens in Little Shop Of Horrors

From where was your cast selected and how was the production team put together?

"We held open auditions, as we do for all of our shows, and it’s lovely to see a lot of new faces in this production. We based our casting primarily on their singing audition, for which we asked auditionees to sing a specific song from the show, and then confirmed our decisions based on their dance audition.

"Our production team is almost exactly the same one as we had for Phantom, apart from myself and assistant choreographer Katie Rose. Katie proved herself as a dancer in Phantom and is off to university in September to study choreography, so it made sense for her to join the team.

"I was offered the opportunity to direct this show by our producer, Justine Hughes, who directed the previous two show and is producing and directing our adult show, Rent, in the summer.

What is the message of Little Shop Of Horrors?

"It's ultimately a parody of 1950s' sci-fi and horror movies, as well as musicals of the decade. There are serious moments, but despite a slightly dark storyline it's a show that isn’t supposed to be taken at its face value. The obvious message is that anyone can make something of themselves, no matter who they are, but you could also take from this story the idea that success comes at a cost, and that all actions have consequences, as Seymour learns."

What is your favourite song in the show and why?

"I’m torn between two songs, Suddenly Seymour and The Meek Shall Inherit. Suddenly Seymour is the climax of the Seymour/Audrey love story, and the tenderness in between all of the violent aspects of the storyline is lovely to witness.

"Our Seymour and Audrey, George Stagnell and Beth Stevens, give a naturally spine-tingling performance when they sing that song and when the three girls join in they create such a beautiful moment.

"The Meek Shall Inherit comes after a particularly sad moment and doesn’t allow the audience to dwell too much on the upset. I really enjoy watching this quick switch from serious to comedy, and it also allows for three cameo roles that become very memorable!"

The York Orchard Theatre Company's Little Shop Of Horrors runs at Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, from June 29 to July 2, 7.30pm and 2.30pm Saturday matinee. Box office: 01904 501935 or at josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk