Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
28th May 2009 at the Little Theatre, Leicester
Cast
Sweeney Todd. … Steve Elliott
Anthony Hope … Michael Whitcombe
Tobias Ragg … Cronig Saunders
Judge Turpin … Tony Whitmore
Beadle Bamford … Mark Whitcombe
Mrs. Lovett … Helen Kirkland
Johanna … Cherise Smith
Beggar Woman … Sue Hubbard
Adolfo Pirelli … David Lovell
Ever since I saw the Tim Burton film version I had been longing to find a production of the stage show, especially after watching clips of the George Hearn 2003 concert on YouTube. Fortunately, within a few months, the local theatre put on an amateur production and I immediately purchased tickets.
Aside from being initially terrified (the chorus were suddenly illuminated standing in the aisles) I enjoyed every minute of this production. Well performed, well-sung and suitably dramatic without being overly theatrical, the show also managed to expertly handle the murder scenes in a small repertory theatre without the use of excessive (or even any) blood, using lighting effects and a trapdoor in the mukti-layered set. The demise of Mrs Lovett was perhaps a little unimpressive, but I suppose I shouldn't have expected too much. Performance wise I particularly enjoyed Sweeney himself (played by Steve Elliott) and his nemesis Judge Turpin (Tony Whitmore, who later told me hek new he had performed well when a man in the bar afterwards had said he had wanted to hit him midway through the production) and even the usually uninteresting performances of Johanna and Anthony managed to entertain, particularly in their frantic duet "Kiss Me". Now the show is coming to the West End with Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton, I wonder if the greater stage will make for a better show, or will the performances at the local theatre win out? Only time will tell.
Theatre Notes
Aside from being initially terrified (the chorus were suddenly illuminated standing in the aisles) I enjoyed every minute of this production. Well performed, well-sung and suitably dramatic without being overly theatrical, the show also managed to expertly handle the murder scenes in a small repertory theatre without the use of excessive (or even any) blood, using lighting effects and a trapdoor in the mukti-layered set. The demise of Mrs Lovett was perhaps a little unimpressive, but I suppose I shouldn't have expected too much. Performance wise I particularly enjoyed Sweeney himself (played by Steve Elliott) and his nemesis Judge Turpin (Tony Whitmore, who later told me hek new he had performed well when a man in the bar afterwards had said he had wanted to hit him midway through the production) and even the usually uninteresting performances of Johanna and Anthony managed to entertain, particularly in their frantic duet "Kiss Me". Now the show is coming to the West End with Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton, I wonder if the greater stage will make for a better show, or will the performances at the local theatre win out? Only time will tell.
Theatre Notes
- Tony Whitmore (Judge Turpin) later appeared as Horace Vandergelder in "Hello Dolly!" which also featured yours truly.
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