Alana Potts (class of 2009) discovered her love of musical theatre at Wakatipu High School, playing Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors in her final year.

Performing took a back seat as life got busy for Potts, a mum of three. This September, she returned to the stage as Rusty in Alexandra Musical Society’s production of Footloose.

“I think I was ready to do something for myself again and challenge myself a bit,” Potts said.

Being cast brought mixed emotions. “I was absolutely stoked, followed fairly quickly by, ‘Oh God, what have I done?’”

She described the show as “energetic, hilarious and heartfelt.”

“The music is fantastic, there’s so much humour, and the energy when the whole cast is together is huge. And personally, I’ve returned to musical theatre after all these years and somehow been convinced that I can dance, so that’s probably worth the price of admission alone.”

From a flesh-eating plant to a dance floor, Potts proves it’s never too late to step back on stage.

Relive the light-hearted bloodshed that launched Potts’ stage career in this Otago Daily Times feature on WHS’s 2009 production of Little Shop of Horrors.