Sweeney Todd

With the Music & Lyrics by the great Stephen Sondheim, about a Fleet Street Barber, Sweeney Todd is well known and loved by audiences. Director David Tatnall has an excellent cast with this production. The musical has been set in Vaudeville style bringing the drama out into the audience and bringing some on stage to join in. The set is simple and very effective, lighting and sound is just right. The costumes are also very good.

The first class orchestra is set on stage above the actors under the direction of Martin Paterson. The singing by everyone is very good. Christina Finn is the choreographer and there are some great dances and chorus movement.

Adrian Hickford takes the role of Sweeney: he has a strong singing voice and gets right into the character, is very believable, and you can see he really wants to take his revenge on the Judge Turpin who ruined his life. Katie Hickson plays Mrs Lovett: there are some great moments between them, and the comedy comes through. I loved the ‘A Little Priest’ number with the girls taking on the different roles for each of the meat pies, very clever. Another favourite was the ‘By the Sea’ number.

Peter Barber is the evil Judge Turpin and with Dan Hickson as the creepy Beadle Bamford, scarily looking like the Child Catcher from ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’, this pair bring menace with them whenever they come on - excellent.

The other roles are also well cast with strong singers; Annie Tatnall is the beggar woman, Max Bullough as Pirelli, Rosa Sparks as Johanna and James Rosser as Anthony all played their parts very well. Peter Lucas as Tobias has great stage presence for his young age and I loved his ‘Not While I’m Around’ to Mrs Lovett.

Each and every member of the cast all acted and looked the part on stage and when in the auditorium keeping in character throughout. This was a great production and you should all be very proud of yourselves.

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