Details

Sondheinm's musical noir based on Christopher Bond's play tells the tale of a barber transported for life for a crime he didn't commit so that the Judge and Beadle can have their wicked way with his beautiful wife. Escaping and returning to London under the name of Sweeney Todd he plots his revenge with the help of Mrs Lovett who runs the failing pie shop under his old business. Recognised by a rival who attempts to blackmail him, Todd kills and Lovett, ever one for a bargin, hatches the plot to dispose of the body and make her little business a success - such lovely pies, such tasty gravy. The Captian who brought him home falls for a beautiful girl who, it turns out, is Todd's daughter now the ward (and intended) of the Judge so the planned revenge must be more swiftly enacted - but in his haste Todd, kills more than he intended and no one wins in the end.

Cast/Performers

Jason Donovan, Harriet Thorpe, Oliver Beamish, Peter Head, Joanna Hickman, Gemma Page, James Spilling, Susannah van de Berg

Creatives/Company

Music: Stephen Sondheim
Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim
Book by: Hugh Wheeler
Adapted by: Christopher Bond
Director(s): John Doyle, Sarah Travis (music)
Design: John Doyle
Sound: Chris Full
Lighting: Richard G Jones

Sweeney Todd

Sweeney Todd (Musical) production archive for QTIX code T1187472248. Details of all Sweeney Todd archived productions can be found under the QTIX code: S1717

Archive Listings

17 Apr 06 to 22 Apr 06	Theatre Royal Plymouth Plymouth, Devon Performance Details => Venue archive
10 Apr 06 to 15 Apr 06	Alexandra Theatre Birmingham, West Midlands Performance Details => Venue archive
3 Apr 06 to 8 Apr 06	Wycombe Swan High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire Performance Details => Venue archive
27 Mar 06 to 1 Apr 06	Grand Opera House York, North Yorkshire Performance Details => Venue archive
20 Mar 06 to 25 Mar 06	Theatre Royal Glasgow Performance Details => Venue archive
13 Mar 06 to 18 Mar 06	Regent Theatre Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire Performance Details => Venue archive
6 Mar 06 to 11 Mar 06	Churchill Theatre Bromley, Kent Performance Details => Venue archive
27 Feb 06 to 4 Mar 06	Opera House Manchester, Greater Manchester Performance Details => Venue archive
20 Feb 06 to 25 Feb 06	New Victoria Theatre Woking, Surrey Performance Details => Venue archive
13 Feb 06 to 18 Feb 06	Richmond Theatre Outer London, Greater London Performance Details => Venue archive
6 Feb 06 to 11 Feb 06	Milton Keynes Theatre Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire Performance Details => Venue archive
31 Jan 06 to 4 Feb 06	Theatre Royal Brighton, East Sussex Performance Details => Venue archive

Reviews

UK Theatre Web: 10Apr06:
Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, Monday 10th April 2006 Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street A Musical Thriller Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Book by Hugh Wheeler. The original Broadway production of this show opened in March 1979 and ran for 557 performances and picked up the Tony Award of 1979 for Best Musical and Best Original Score to name only two of the many many awards it won. It has since been revived and John Doyle directs this new UK touring version. Tonight we saw a mature and confident Jason Donovan in the title role and a frightening and demonic barber he made of it to. Supporting him as the amoral Mrs Lovett was west end star Harriet Thorpe who was well cast both for her acting and singing abilities. The set designed by John Doyle was a huge affair, a (which we didn’t see) below. The lighting by Richard G Jones established a grim and morbid ness that was present throughout the production and the style of performance a sung narration that required constant attention made for an intense evening of drama. The use of red light to signify the cutting of throats when the demon barber struck worked well and sent a shiver down the spine. Many of the potential sound difficulties were overcome and it was fairly easy to follow a character and their action but when two, three or four characters were singing against each other the plot got somewhat lost. Individually the performers all had good voices. The supporting cast of actor-musicians with their instruments and in a variety of costumes could not be faulted and gave I am sure a good account of the source material. This is however a very dark piece with a sombre finale and one which will not provide enjoyment to all. Musically there are a few decent numbers such as “No Place Like London” performed by Jason Donovan, Greg Barnett and Gemma Page. “My Friends” by Jason Donovan and Harriet Thorpe plus “By the Sea” performed by Harriet Thorpe but many of the others disappear into the narration and are not very memorable. The production runs at The Alexandra Theatre until Saturday 15th April and then continues on its UK tour until the end of the month. Clive Fuller

User Reviews

USER (10Apr06): Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, Monday 10th April 2006 Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street A Musical Thriller Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Book by Hugh Wheeler. The original Broadway production of this show opened in March 1979 and ran for 557 performances and picked up the Tony Award of 1979 for Best Musical and Best Original Score to name only two of the many many awards it won. It has since been revived and John Doyle directs this new UK touring version. Tonight we saw a mature and confident Jason Donovan in the title role and a frightening and demonic barber he made of it to. Supporting him as the amoral Mrs Lovett was west end star Harriet Thorpe who was well cast both for her acting and singing abilities. The set designed by John Doyle was a huge affair, a (which we didn’t see) below. The lighting by Richard G Jones established a grim and morbid ness that was present throughout the production and the style of performance a sung narration that required constant attention made for an intense evening of drama. The use of red light to signify the cutting of throats when the demon barber struck worked well and sent a shiver down the spine. Many of the potential sound difficulties were overcome and it was fairly easy to follow a character and their action but when two, three or four characters were singing against each other the plot got somewhat lost. Individually the performers all had good voices. The supporting cast of actor-musicians with their instruments and in a variety of costumes could not be faulted and gave I am sure a good account of the source material. This is however a very dark piece with a sombre finale and one which will not provide enjoyment to all. Musically there are a few decent numbers such as “No Place Like London” performed by Jason Donovan, Greg Barnett and Gemma Page. “My Friends” by Jason Donovan and Harriet Thorpe plus “By the Sea” performed by Harriet Thorpe but many of the others disappear into the narration and are not very memorable. The production runs at The Alexandra Theatre until Saturday 15th April and then continues on its UK tour until the end of the month. Clive Fuller

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CORONAVIRUS: All venues in the UK were shut down on March 16, 2020, and the restrictions were finally lifted on July 19, 2021. It is important to mention that the UK Theatre Web archive listings (iUKTDb) from March 2020 to July 2021 might not be accurate due to the lack of information regarding rescheduled and cancelled shows.