Sweeney Todd

Stephen Sondheim is very much a “Marmite” creative and I’m happy to say I am definitely a member of the “Love It” faction, which was why I was very much looking forward to seeing what the Nottingham Arts Youth Theatre team had created with their full-length youth production of Sweeney Todd.  I delighted to say that what I saw exceeded my most hopeful expectations.

The minute I walked into the Arts Theatre I was struck by both a visual and auditory wall of atmosphere that transported me to the dark side of Victorian London.  The static London street scene, complete with Todd’s 4th wall-free tonsorial Parlor, had been expertly designed by Nik Hudson and expertly lit by Oliver Read.  The subtle sound-scape created by George Wilson washed over the audience as they entered the Theatre and silent ghostly figures, complete with atmospheric lanterns, began to fill the stage.

As the musical prologue began it was obvious that, rather than a set of backing tracks, the performance would be delivered by a very musically tight and talented set of 13 musicians led by Jonah Williams.  Having live music played with great skill and finesse ensured that every nuance of Sondheim’s score was at the fore of the production and accentuated the impact of every on-stage performer’s vocal delivery.

I was lucky enough to experience both casts in action this week and what I really appreciated was the “freedom within a framework” that Abby had given her principals to bring their own spin on characterisation.  The actors didn’t have to follow a single Director mandated interpretation but rather were able to “own” their character choices which for me resulted in much more believable three-dimensional performances.

At the centre of “Sweeney Todd” are Sweeney played alternately by Jonathan Jaycock and Joshua Preston and Mrs Lovett played by Emily-Hope Wilkins and Maddi Woodland.  In all cases these actors used great skill and passion to bring these characters to life and deliver excellent vocal and acting performances.  Joshua focussed on making Sweeney dark and vengeance-driven while Jonathan had an initially lighter persona that could snap in a heartbeat to murderous sociopath.   Their respective journeys from victim to mass-murderer were, at all times, believable and I found myself rooting for Todd as he disposed of those that had wronged him.  Maddi Woodland balanced her materialistic desire to make money from her new found relationship with Todd alongside the constant fear that he might turn on her without warning, always dancing on eggshells.  Emily-Hope Wilkins brough a great deal more “sass” and confidence to her portrayal projecting Mrs Lovett as very much an equal to Todd hiding any fear she might have.  I particularly enjoyed her very occasional ad-libs to Todd “Don’t look at me like that” being the highlight. 

Noah Bator and Lenny Brady were both on great form with their interpretations of Anthony Hope and their respective deliveries of Johanna firmly established them as audience favourites bringing out the naivety, devotion and adoration for his their new love which drove Anthony’s actions over the rest of the character’s arc throughout the performance.  Grace Jones-Eccles and Mia Rathbone simply shone as Johanna in every scene they appeared in.  Vocally they were without fault from where I sat and both very quickly established the character of Johanna as one that any man, suitable or not, would fall in love with.  Amelia Scurfield and Amelie Adams had the considerable challenge of showing that what we see initially as Beggar Women, is actually the mentally shattered Lucy, wife of Benjamin Barker (Todd) who has, over the years, lost her husband, her daughter, her sanity and all self-respect.  Both Amelia and Amelie achieved this feat with believable interpretations across the course of the production without resorting to cliché “Mad-Woman” overacting and so their eventual murder by Todd made his visceral reaction to the truth even more shattering.

William Curtis and Lizzie Kenny both gave very impressive interpretations of Tobias Ragg the young assistant to Adolfo Pirelli who becomes Mrs Lovett’s assistant and in many ways the child she never had.  This is a very hard part to take on as Tobias starts as effectively a performing prop in a grifters scam who then is unexpectedly freed and immediately taken advantage of by Todd and Lovett before witnessing multiple murders and having the strength and courage to avenge the death of Mrs Lovett.  I was amazed that two young actors were able to achieve this character development to such great effect with Lizzie being quite amazing in her ability.

Moving now to the characters played by one performer in every performance.  Jamie Adlam produced the most rounded and on-point acting performance I have seen from him in any show.  He used his trademark anarchic energy to great effect and kept this within the bounds of the character of Adolfo Pirelli so that I found I was looking at Adolfo tonight rather than Jamie being Jamie.   A great tribute to the work that Jamie and Abby have obviously put in over the rehearsal period.  A stand out performance in every respect!

Tom Telford was every inch the conceited, malevolent Judge Turpin.  His performance ensured that at no time did the audience have any sympathy with his character without over-acting or evil affectation.  Tom’s vocal delivery was excellent throughout and his acting/vocal delivery in Pretty Women was one of the recurring highlights of the show for me.  Tom not only delivered a great individual performance but the double act he and Oliver Sheard as Beadle Bamford had developed was pure genius.  Oliver made Bamford one of my favourite characters of the production.  His apparent surface affability masked the heart of a psychopath with the Beadle able to switch from charm to violence in a nanosecond which surprised me every time, even when I knew it was coming.  Oliver’s delivery of Parlor Songs on Mrs Lovett’s harmonium will live with me for many years

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