Tickets were gifted in return for an honest review.
Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd; infamous, gruesome and an impeccable night of theatre at Birmingham Rep this Summer. A Sondheim powerhouse of a show and a personal favourite, this
brand new production- led by the legendary Ramin Karimloo and Meow Meow- promises a
terrifyingly tasty night of musical theatre that you simply cannot miss!
 |
| Ramin Karimloo as Sweeney Todd and Meow Meow as Mrs Lovett. Photo by Manuel Harlan |
The musical Sweeney Todd was written by Sondheim and Wheeler in 1979 and has previously
been a monumental success both in the West End and on Broadway featuring performances by
musical theatre legends including Imelda Staunton, Michael Ball, Aaron Tveit and Josh Groban, to
name but a few. This fresh new version manages to maintain the spectacle and eerie atmosphere
of the original whilst breathing new life and its own take on the production.
From the off, the
show’s curtain is mystical and dark, provoking intrigue, and once the show begins, what follows is
an attack on all of the senses in the best way possible. The tale tells the story of Sweeney Todd, a
Victorian barber introduced through The Ballad of Sweeney Todd, in which Ramin Karimloo is
revealed with an instantly sinister and gripping atmosphere. I truly believe this is one of the best
opening numbers of any musical for grip and exposition and this is no different in this production,
pairing a harsh and ominous set with some incredible ensemble performances.
We learn that
Sweeney has returned secretly to London with a shady and enigmatic past, one that he is keen to
remain hidden, and he instantly befriends Anthony Hope (Shem Omari James), who is our
hopeless romantic. We begin to see shadows of the past haunt Todd, including an early moment
where he is harassed by a beggar woman who claims to recognise him.
Our story takes another
fun turn when Todd enters Mrs Lovett’s Pie Shop, seeking the room above the pie shop for his
business. Mrs Lovett - a perfectly eccentric and morally corrupt woman- laments the poor
business of pies with The Worst Pies in London (a personal favourite number of mine) and reveals
that the previous tenant of the room, Benjamin Barker, was evicted from London by Judge Turpin
(David Bedella) following false allegations. It is revealed early to Lovett and to the audience that
Todd is indeed Barker, back in London to seek revenge on the judge, even more so when he
learns that his daughter Johanna is the abused ward of Turpin and his wife is dead. This is a real
turning point in the first act, where Sweeney is reunited with his beloved razor friends and a new
business plan unfolds alongside a blossoming relationship between Todd and Lovett and plans for
gruesome revenge. At the same time, Anthony becomes enamoured with Johanna from afar,
unaware of her connections to his new friend. Whilst Todd initially keeps a low profile, he finds his
barber skills coming to the forefront once more when he meets Pirelli (Silas Wyatt-Barke), a
shambolic showman and salesman, and his young assistant Tobias, selling ‘miracle elixir’ for hair
growth which Todd quickly tries to disprove. Tobias (Jack Gibson), a sweet and lovable boy with
innocence that is only further proved throughout the show, is taken in under Lovett’s wing.
The
remainder of Act One is a dramatic twist and turn of events, as Todd and Anthony learn of further
diabolical plans of Judge Turpin and plan their own responses. Amongst these events, Todd’s
razors become all the more dangerous as he takes his first victim. Upon needing to dispose of a
body, Lovett and Todd create a plan to serve a new kind of meat in their pies …
 |
| The cast of Sweeney Todd. Photo by Manuel Harlan |
Act Two begins with a more jovial feel, with Mrs Lovett’s business booming (God That’s Good) and
the duo seeming to go from success to success. Juxtaposing this, Todd continues to lament the
fate of his poor daughter and planning his next move as he totally nonchalantly slits the throats of
his clients and sends the bodies shooting down to the pie ovens. The dark humour interspersed
through these scenes is utterly brilliant. These characters are both somehow utterly diabolically
and hilariously gripping, becoming the perfect pair of anti-heroes for the audience to behold
open-mouthed. But can Todd and Anthony save Johanna from the clutches of the judge? And will
Todd’s own dark past come back to haunt him? As the Greek chorus-style opening number
suggests, this story could perhaps have yet more tragic twists and turns which you MUST buy a
ticket for to see for yourself!
The performances in this show were impeccable, with not a weak link amongst the cast. Ramin
Karimloo appears almost effortless in his singing abilities, which are astronomical, but it is in the
nuances of his acting skills that I felt myself the most drawn. Karimloo commands the stage; even
in moments where he isn’t at the heart of the action, his micro reactions and facial expressions are impressive on such a large and at many times empty stage. He maintains a stern exterior which is
unyielding, even when being danced around by Mrs Lovett during hilarious numbers such as By
The Sea, and builds perfectly to his turning point moment in Act One where he finally becomes
the relentless villain we have been waiting for.
As Mrs Lovett, Meow Meow blew me away with a
really fresh take on such an iconic role. She perfectly juxtaposed a hard, sinister exterior with
many moments of utterly brilliant dark humour; a real favourite of the audience throughout the
night. Her tenderness with Tobias was believable and yet she was clearly ruthless in her chase of
Todd and dreams of the future. Wicked in the best way possible!
Speaking of Tobias, Jack
Gibson’s performance was a combination of fun, joy and tenderness. Not While I’m Around is
arguably one of the most well-known songs in the show, and this moment was a real highlight of
Act Two for me personally.
Performing as Judge Turpin, David Bedella was the picture of villainy and was instantly despised
by the audience; a sign of true skill from an actor in a role like this. In Johanna (Reprise) in
particular, I felt actual disgust for the judge’s actions because of the combination of Bedella’s
impressive performance and the eerie omnipresence of the giant angel, representing justice and
judgement throughout the entire story. I most recently saw Bedella perform in &Juliet in an
incredibly different role; this new side to him showing his versatility and acting skill. Julius
D’Silva’s Beadle complemented Bedella’s performance brilliantly, bringing a more flamboyant but
also quietly evil tone and reminding audiences that those in power are often the most corrupt.
In a total contrast, Shem Omari James and Jo Stephenson are our Anthony and Johanna;
Sondheim’s typical young lovers. Whilst these are not often my favourite characters in this show,
the performances of both actors were varied and genuine and again on such a big stage, their
more subtle moments and facial expressions brought true heart and realism.
The most powerful
moments of this show came from whole ensemble moments of narration with sublime harmonies
and powerful performances, featuring many of our already mentioned performers plus Florence
Andrews, Silas Wyatt-Barke, Emily Ivana Hawkins and Hadrian Delacey. Absolutely chef’s kiss
(thought I wouldn’t eat the pies)!
What made this beloved show so fresh and interesting was its use of set, lighting and costume
design by Elin Steele, Rory Beaton, Kelsh Buckman-Drage and director Joe Murphy. For such a
large stage, at many times this is left deliberately vast, cold and empty, reflecting the lonely
abandon of Victorian London. The stage uses clever hydraulics to produce Mrs Lovett’s pie shop,
transforming seamlessly and with impact several times in the show. Many of our show’s key
moments happen in or around the nooks and crannies of the stage, with shadows being as
important, if not more so, than the light. As mentioned, a large statue of an angel looms above the
entire story, highlighting the moral and ethical dilemmas presented and encouraging the audience
to reflect on this. Our ensemble characters are dressed in traditional Victorian dress but in black
and white, again harsh and almost clinical, whilst our principles wear colourful garbs that are
almost caricature-like in nature.
Truly, every choice in this show is clearly purposeful and
impactful, showing real reflection and passion of the creative team.
And if you cannot get enough of Ramin and Meow Meow’s performance, the pair are staying on
after the run for a charity fundraising night of music on Sunday 16 August to support the Rep in its
Raise the Roof campaign and its work across the city in schools and communities whilst their
main house is closed temporarily next year. Tickets are available from the 10th July from
Birmingham Rep’s website and box office.
So whether you want a bite of the best pies in London or the closest shave of your life, do visit
The Rep this summer for a tantalising new take on Sondheim’s best musical! I promise, you won’t
be able to resist!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sweeney Todd plays at Birmingham Rep until Saturday 15 August and tickets are available from
https://www.birmingham-rep.co.uk/whats-on/sweeney-todd-the-demon-barber-of-fleet-street/
Trigger warning- This show contains themes of violence, gore and sexual assault and viewer’s discretion is advised. The show is recommended for ages 14+.
 |
| Ramin Karimloo as Sweeney Todd and David Bedella as Judge Turpin. Photo by Manuel Harlan |
Post a Comment