This week's Hyde Park Pick

I do not need much of an excuse to want to screen Little Shop of Horrors, but it is great to have one! Our sister venue’s, Leeds Grand Youth Theatre are taking over the City Varieties Music Hall for the 11th time this summer, from Thursday 25th to Sunday 28th July, with a brand-new revival of the ever-popular horror musical stage adaptation. To help celebrate this phenomenal classic, which resonates both on screen and stage, we are very honoured that our screening will also be preceded by a few key musical numbers performed by the lead actors (Munashe Brodersen and Lottie Winston) from the upcoming youth theatre production. However, if you want to see the hugely talented 60 strong cast alongside a live band, I recommend you book yourself some tickets here.

As an ever-ageing millennial, I am happy to report that myself and the 1986 version of Little Shop of Horrors share the same birth year, and the film was very much a firm fixture of my childhood. Our VHS copy of the film was extremely well worn and quotes from the film were used frequently across the dinner table and instantly understood from a very young age. My dad was a very keen but sarcastic gardener, so the unmistakable personality and wit of Aubrey II was often attributed to many smaller and less formidable plants around our house, as my dad would jokingly offer to feed his children to any ailing plants.

I was in equal measure terrified and fascinated by the idea of a plant which ate people, a combination which felt absolutely exhilarating and luckily, like myself, the film has aged incredibly well. Along with the unforgettable songs, an amazing ensemble cast and the hilarious plot, the film remains a timeless cult classic. It’s fascinating to watch the film from the other side and feel like I am finally in on the jokes which my dad sniggered at quietly behind me. However, the magic of this film for me, is that I am instantly transported back to the happy childhood memories this film represents. It truly is one of my few comfort films which I would watch over and over again.

If you have not seen this film before, I implore you to do so. If you have, it’s still great – I promise.

Little Shop of Horrors is showing at HPPH this weekend as part of our Hyde & Seek strand with Pay What You Can tickets. You can see it on Sat 13 Apr at 11:00 with a free self-led craft session starting at 10:30. And you can see it on Sun 14 Apr at 11:00 which is a relaxed screening intended for neurodiverse audiences and people who find regular screenings overstimulating. You can book tickets here.