Sweeney Todd

Composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim has received a lot of attention in London recently after winning the Critics’ Circle Award for lifetime achievement and the Sheridan Morley Prize for Theatre Biography for his memoir, Look I Made a Hat, but there can be perhaps no more fitting tribute to the musical theatre icon than this spirited and accomplished revival of his macabre revenge tragedy, Sweeney Todd. With a solid book by Hugo Wheeler, Sondheim’s music and lyrics are on top form, and the score achieves spine-tinglingly operatic moments as performed by this stellar cast.

Wrongfully shipped off to a prison camp in Australia by the villainous Judge Turpin, Sweeney Todd returns to London seeking revenge. He discovers that after being raped by Turpin, his wife poisoned herself with arsenic, and that the Judge adopted his infant daughter. A barber by trade, he moves back into his old flat above Mrs. Lovett’s unsuccessful pie shop and plots the Judge’s downfall. Lovett, meanwhile, views his murderous rampage as a business opportunity and begins baking his victims into pies.

Michael Ball plays against type in the title role, matching his exceptional voice with considerable pathos as his quest for vengeance descends into madness. Imelda Staunton is sensational as quirky Mrs. Lovett, repeatedly earning the biggest laughs, but never overplaying it. She revels in Sondheim’s wordplay and achieves the production’s most heartfelt moment with her plaintive rendition of “By the Sea”. James McConville is charmingly endearing as a street urchin who winds up in Lovett’s employ, whilst Luke Brady displays a robust voice as the charismatic suitor to Todd’s daughter, Johanna. Lucy May Barker as Johanna has a pleasant voice, but she fails to bring a strong sense of character to the role and never rises above a one-dimensional damsel in distress.

Jonathan Kent’s superb direction makes the best use of Anthony Ward’s evocative designs. Together, they manage to create a vivid picture of life in Victorian London’s East End, with the formidable ensemble weaving in and out of the shadows. The principals are never left alone, giving a sense that the entire society is complicit in the protagonists’ actions. This motif is further expounded upon when the stage is thrust into the audience at the height of Todd’s mania. The set is enhanced by Mark Henderson’s flawless and dramatic lighting design.

It is unlikely the West End will see such a skilled revival of one of Sondheim’s best for many years, and those both well-acquainted and unfamiliar with his work should not miss the chance to see this musical masterpiece.

Recommended: Highly recommended for musical fans, or those who enjoy dark humour – comedies don’t get much blacker than this.

Where I sat: The left side of the Dress Circle, H25-26. Sightlines were fine, and I had a full view of the stage, but this is a very large theatre and I felt far removed from the action. I would be willing to pay extra to move up five rows or so, or even the stalls as it’s such a good production.