Kirsty Kingham talks about her role as Baroness Schraeder

She prefers posh parties to puppet shows. She gets a love rival sacked from her job. Worst of all, she doesn't like children. No wonder Baroness Elsa Schraeder is the one character fans of The Sound of Music love to hate!

"But I think she's just misunderstood," laughs Kirsty Kingham, the real-life mum-of-two who's playing the role of the Baroness in Basingstoke Amateur Theatrical Society's production of the evergreen musical. "Look at it this way. She meets the handsome widower Captain Von Trapp, she brings some fun back into his life and they get engaged."

Kirsty Kingham plays Frau Schraeder | BATS, The Sound of Music

"Then this nun Maria comes along and teaches his annoying children how to sing. The Captain falls completely in love with her and the Baroness can't compete. I think the audience should feel sorry for her, actually!"

The Baroness may resent the way Maria brings music into the Von Trapp household, but Kirsty herself has a beautiful soprano voice, as heard in her previous BATS lead roles, Marion Paroo in The Music Man (2008) and Grace Farrell in Annie (2006). Elsewhere she's played Eliza in My Fair Lady and Nancy in Oliver!

Kirsty also loves working with children - she runs the choir at her daughters' school and is training to be a teacher at the University of Winchester.

But in The Sound of Music, Kirsty enjoys playing the diva. She exchanges some wonderfully barbed dialogue with Laura Newborough, who plays Maria, and performs two witty songs, "How Can Love Survive?" and "No Way To Stop It."

"I can really put my stamp on them because they aren't as iconic as songs like "Do-Re-Mi" or "My Favourite Things", she enthuses. "And it's just an absolute delight to be singing the wonderful music of Rodgers and Hammerstein. I hope you enjoy hearing it as much as we enjoy performing it." The Sound of Music run from Wed 13th – Sat 23rd November at The Haymarket, including two Saturday matinées and two Sunday matinées on 17 November.

Little Shop of Horrors - Promotional Trailer

Catch a sneak preview of the show and the cast in action for Little Shop of Horrors. Fantastic songs evoking the era of Motown, rock ‘n’ roll and doo-wop!

A delicious parody of old horror movies! A giant man-eating Venus flytrap taking over the stage before your eyes...

Click on the frame below to start the video. To watch in full screen, click the square frame icon in the bottom right-hand corner once the video is running.

In rehearsal with 'The Baddies' for Little Shop of Horrors

BATS returns to the Haymarket later this month with one of Broadway’s favourite musicals, ‘Little Shop of Horrors’. The show features great 1960’s style songs and a story that pastiches old-style horror movies. Downtrodden shop assistant, Seymour Krelborn finds a strange exotic plant during a solar eclipse. When the plant begins to speak and demands to be fed, Seymour enters into a terrible pact which he believes will win him true love. But not one, but three baddies stand in his way, pictured from left to right - Joe Humberstone, Ian 'Spud' Smith and Anthony Mitchell.

Joe Humberstone, Ian 'Spud' Smith and Anthony Mitchell in rehearsal

Anthony Mitchell plays Seymour’s boss, the bitter flower shop owner Mr Mushnik. “He took Seymour under his wing and gave him a home, but he never made anything of his own life,” explains Anthony. “Then he gets a chance to make a load of easy money by praying upon Seymour’s naivety. Of course, that ultimately becomes the route to his own come-uppance.”

2013 marks Anthony’s 30th year with BATS. “I’m so pleased to be doing Little Shop of Horrors” he says. “You’ll leave the theatre with a broad grin on your face, humming the catchy numbers – and wondering just what that huge weed in your garden really is!”

Ian ‘Spud’ Smith is another BATS stalwart – he’s providing the voice for the monstrous man-eating plant, Audrey 2, and has an apology for his neighbours. “My songs are very loud – when I rehearse at home I wonder what they think as they hear me chant “Feed Me Blood” at the top of my voice!”

Spud’s striking looks have often seen him cast in ‘baddie’ roles, like Bill Sikes in ‘Oliver!’ and Jud Fry in ‘Oklahoma!’ but he’s keen to stress he’s not always been a rotter – “I once played Wendy in Peter Pan!”

Spud confesses he’s been bowled over by the enthusiasm and dedication of the younger members of the cast. Among them, Joe Humberstone, who plays the sadistic dentist Orin Scrivello.

“He’s sarcastic and disturbing to watch,” says Joe of his character, who’s pretty nasty to his girlfriend Audrey and downright evil to hapless hero Seymour. But can any of these villains match up to the legendary Queen of Mean, who Joe faced on TV’s The Weakest Link? He admits he wilted under Anne Robinson’s fearsome glare. “I went out in the first round after getting a question wrong – doh!”

Six performances of Little Shop of Horrors run from Tues 14th – Sat 18th May at The Haymarket, Basingstoke.