The grisly tale of Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street has been told in many incarnations, from Victorian penny dreadfuls to stage plays and even comic books. The most well-known version is Stephen Sondheim’s musical, first performed in 1979, which has been brought back to the stage as New Theatre’s final production of the 2014 season.
Directed by Giles Gartrell-Mills, this production is brimming with humour, emotion and grit in equal measures. It stars Justin Cotta in the titular role of the anti-hero Sweeney Todd, formerly known as Benjamin Barker, a barber who returns to London seeking vengeance. He has spent the last 15 years as a convict, having been falsely sentenced by the wicked Judge Turpin, performed with fervent intensity by Laurence Coy.
Cotta’s performance is utterly engaging, capturing the required balance of insanity, fury and sorrow. His vocal style brings a roughness that is well-suited to the character of Sweeney Todd and he delivers his spoken lines with a venomous punch. Lucy Miller shines opposite him in the role of Mrs Lovett, largely due to her impeccable comic timing, bringing a welcome sense of humour and colour to a musical which is thematically very macabre and harrowing.
The skilled performances of the ensemble cast make it hard to resist growing attached to some of the more unsavoury characters, despite the fact that very few have any redeeming qualities. Particular standouts are Simon Ward, who portrays the odious character of Beadle Bamford with charisma and charm, and Michael Jones as the flamboyant salesman, Adolfo Pirelli.
The singers are well complemented by Liam Kemp’s musical direction, which is delivered with all the austerity and vigour that Sondheim’s score demands. This is no small achievement considering that the accompaniment consists of only a three-piece ensemble. Musical highlights include “Not While I’m Around” performed with a touching sweetness by Aimee Timmins who has switched gender into the role of Tobias, and the beautiful rendition of “Johanna” by Josh Anderson who plays the love-struck sailor Anthony Hope.
The staging exemplifies that less really is more, especially in the capable hands of Gartrell-Mills. At first glance the set design is almost too minimalist, comprised of just three moving pieces, which over the next three hours are rearranged into every configuration imaginable. The sordid streets of Victorian London, Todd’s barber shop and Mrs Lovett’s bakery are all brought to life with simplified ingenuity.
New Theatre’s Sweeney Todd is testament to the high quality musical theatre that is being produced in Sydney’s smaller venues. If productions such as this are any indication of what is to come, it is safe to say the independent theatre scene will continue to thrive in 2015.
Sweeney Todd is at the New Theatre until December 20, 2014. Book on the New Theatre website.
As a fan of Sweeney Todd it’s good to know that New Theatre can handle what’s often been a technically challenging show. The last performance I saw there was The Crucible, so it might make a nice change to see something with some humour amidst the darkness.