Sweeny Todd

Based on the 1970 play, ‘Sweeney Todd’ was first staged as a musical on Broadway in 1979 before opening in the West End in 1980. Sondheim conceived of a musical version of the story in 1973. It won both the Tony and the Olivier awards and has also been made into a film.

The story was set originally in 1785 and retold numerous times over the next century, making Sweeney Todd a familiar character to the majority of Victorians by the late 1800’s.

Your production was an imaginative adaptation of the story bringing it into the last century and the second world war.

The set of Fleet Street Underground Station was super – even the top flats were curved realistically - congratulations to Eddy once again on his set design and construction; they are always quite exceptional. The various entrances and steps made for attractive settings of the different groups of people.

The opening company number was powerful and a variety of characters, including school children, were on stage, engaged in business the whole time. It really did conjure up what life must have been like during that time and how well the Londoners adapted to life underground in order to stay alive. It actually looked fun!

Ben Kennedy gave a superb performance as Sweeney Todd. He was determined to wreak vengeance on Judge Turpin and his followers despite Mrs Lovett’s attempts to try to win him over. The sadistic characteristics portrayed so well in his bloodlust gave way to his terrible remorse on realising that he’d murdered his beloved wife.

As the devious Mrs Lovett, Polly was coquettish, acting and singing commendably. I felt that some of the humour in her role was not as obvious as it might have been but there may well have been a good reason for that which was that the music was sometimes a little too loud and it wasn’t easy to hear the dialogue. ‘A Little Priest’ is such a clever song but the words were difficult to pick up. In contrast I could hear her every word when she sang in  ‘By The Sea’ which was notable.

James Palmer was first-rate in both his singing and acting and he made a threatening and formidable Judge Turpin. ‘Pretty Women’ with Todd was particularly good.

His side kick Beadle Bamford, a cruel hypocrite who presents himself as a respectable man, was played confidently by Gareth Brown.

In the role of Todd’s long lost daughter Joanna, Apple Florence Hobden gave an accomplished performance and sang ‘Green Finch’ prettily. She portrayed a spirited and yet innocent young woman, totally unaware of the fact that Todd was her father.

Zack Preston was self-assured as the young, naive sailor Anthony Hope and represented optimism amid the darkness of the piece. ‘Joanna’ is for me by far the best song in the show and Zack sang it well.

The flamboyant rival barber Pirelli was played by Alex Kirkham with the style and flourish associated with an Italian. He gave a strong performance.

Toby Archer is most talented for one so young. He appears to find his place with Todd and even sees Mrs Lovatt as a mother figure. When realising that nothing is as he thought it was he turns on Todd in the very dramatic ending.

Laura Robertson had the role of Beggar Woman and she was splendid. She was no shrinking violet to be pitied but a strong presence throughout.

Todd’s realisation that she was his wife was a very emotional moment, for the audience too.

The chorus were a massive part of the whole production and backed the principals strongly – they were involved in their own business on stage the whole time and never lost concentration.

Costumes and properties were suitable for the period.

Lighting was good, rather subdued just as it would have been in the underground station, but as mentioned previously the sound track was too loud. Sondheim’s music is notoriously difficult to sing  - very wordy and no natural progression of notes so that it’s possible to pick up a melody. Those who have rehearsed it for months of course are familiar with the words and music but some of the audience are not so familiar.

Victoria’s vision for the musical was certainly different and on the whole it worked very well, but there were some things that were just too difficult to transfer in the story and the murders were very tricky. Putting screens in place was fine but unfortunately they didn't provide complete cover and there were glimpses of the victims getting up out of the chair and walking offstage.

The three men who were killed one after another then appeared back on stage - I wondered if they were representing their ghosts, an innovative way of keeping them on stage - or was it just that their voices were needed on stage? If the latter then a quick bit of disguise, overcoat, hat etc. could have been used.

The assumption was that Todd pushed Mrs Lovatt onto the train tracks but I don’t remember any sound effects at that point. If there were then my apologies -I must have missed them.

Lydia Freud had worked hard with the cast to ensure that the difficult music was put across to the audience confidently – I’m afraid I have no knowledge of what an MD has to do as far as tracked music goes so please excuse me for not being able to comment on that particular aspect.

Both the technical and musical aspects teams worked very well.

Your souvenir programme is excellent and has lots of interest. ‘’The ‘Taste of Terror Pie’ and 'Show Pie' were especially well thought out and appropriate.

Thank you for inviting me to see 'Sweeney Todd'  and for the kind hospitality on the evening. -  Emily looked after us very well indeed.

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