A SCHOOL in Bournemouth is appealing for members of the community to buy tickets to its upcoming show after they were forced to cancel one of their shows due to a lack of ticket sales.

Students at St Peter’s Catholic School in Southbourne have been rehearsing since September to put on their show Sweeney Todd.

With the opening night of the show just five weeks away, members of the cast are beginning to get nervous that the stalls will not be filled for their performances.

Lucy Street, a year 13 student at the school and a principle chorus member, said: “We have had to cancel our first performance which would have been on Wednesday night because we weren’t selling enough tickets.

“On the first night, some of the actors will be nervous so you need that energy from the audience to help them.

“Everyone is getting a bit nervous that people aren’t going to come”, said the 18-year-old.

The school were due to have their opening night on Wednesday January 29 but, due to a severe lack of ticket sales, the opening night has been moved back to Thursday January 30, reducing the number of shows from four to three.

Although the story of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber on Fleet Street is considered a musical thriller, the cast members say that the show will not be as graphic as people think and contains a lot of comedy.

To help make the musical more appealing to a younger audience, the school have decided to base the musical in the modern day in central London.

Ellie Hirst, who will play Johanna in the show, said: “We have tried to relate the musical to the gentrification of some London boroughs such as Shoreditch and Hackney where they are tearing down council houses and building modern buildings for wealthier people.

“We have tried to mix the themes of Victorian England and the modern gentrification of London so young people can relate to it.

“The shop looks like a greasy spoon; the barber shop is set in a container and the cast members will be dressed in hipster looking costumes,” added the 16-year-old.

The show, directed by Marie Fox and choreographed by Laura Warriner, will be performed by students aged 12 to 18.

Year 8 student Ola Hamiton, one of the youngest members of the cast, said: “St Peters is a really popular school and has great opportunities for students to get involved in like this. Because it is my first show, I think it is the best.

“I didn’t know about Sweeney Todd until I got involved with the show. It is really different to other shows out there

“Sweeney Todd is a unique show and is a lot more difficult than people think, we have had to do a lot of hours of rehearsals to get it right.”

Ticket for the shows are £13 with concession at £9. To purchase tickets, visit st-peters.bournemouth.sch.uk/tickets.