Sweeney Todd

The Players delivered a dark and powerful drama. The dissonance of the Sondheim music and singing created a sinister atmosphere which permeated the entire performance and was credit to the hard work of principals, chorus and orchestra. The stamping of feet to the signature song Demon Barber of Fleet Street resonated that darkness, so too did the well managed brutal rape scene and that’s before we got to the throat cutting barber and gruesome mincing of bodies. Caz Paul, as Sweeney Todd, created a brooding, revenged-filled barber whose singing revealed the pain of loss and frustration. Pam Murray in chilling eye make-up gave us a cold, calculating Mrs Lovett, steely in her determination to succeed and a character who unified the whole drama. The sailor friend Antony played by Stuart Laws fought against the evil around him and he and Johanna’s innocent love as shown in ‘Kiss Me’ was always at risk from darker forces. Regina Vereker gave us a vulnerable Joanna transformed into an object of pity in the mad house. Indeed that scene, with the inmates dressed in startling white, and Judith Hutchinson as the wonderfully vindictive Mrs Fogg, was frightening in its intensity. Alistair Thomas exuded evil and power as Judge Turpin, Alex Kemp relished The Beadle’s role and the Parlour songs, Elspeth Whyte excelled in her role as Beggar Woman, crazed and battered by life’s experiences and Alex Rankine as Pirelli gave some light relief with the Elixir song but he too was part of the dark life with his attempt to blackmail Todd. Throats were cut thick and fast and it was left to Kyle McRoberts as loyal Tobias to stand for good but he too was expendable. Costumes were well chosen reflecting the strata of society; the respectable black, the colourful pink of showman Pirelli and the wonderful tatters of the Beggar Woman - a metaphor of her life. The set was extremely well designed and used: the cruel barber’s chair and pie shop were the focus in centre stage, the brick walls of Fleet Street adjacent and the oven and mincer to the side and the imposing Greco façade of the Judge’s house on the other. This was a well-managed and memorable production performed by a talented group.

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