Review: Sweeney Todd at Birmingham Rep
The musical thriller, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is on at Birmingham Rep until 15 August. I may be in a minority having not seen the Tim Burton film version starring Johnny Depp or any previous production of this show so I was quite excited to watch this.
Well, firstly, it turns out the tale of Sweeney Todd is an urban myth originating in a 19th Century penny dreadful – no truth in it at all. The story contains many of the elements from a classic folk tale – a wronged anti-hero with a tragic backstory, a tangle of relationships complicated by mistaken identities, young lovers fighting a string of set backs to be together.
The production itself was razor sharp [see what i did there?] in every detail. Descriptions of Sondeim’s musical as a masterpiece are spot on. It draws you in. The audience is conflicted by Sweeney Todd’s obvious villainy against his unresolved grief and anger. Mrs Lovett is played brilliantly by Meow Meow who brings alive a hilariously complex character who you just want to find her happy ending.
The show is recommended for ages 14 and over. I think this is fair. Despite the storyline, the show is not particularly gruesome but it is a complex story which a young audience may struggle to follow. You know your own child but I would say that this is one for adults night out with friends rather than a family theatre trip.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street – A Musical Thriller
Birmingham Rep – 4 July to 15 August
Wrongfully imprisoned for 15 years, Benjamin Barker returns to Victorian London as the mysterious barber, Sweeney Todd.
Upon finding out he’s lost everything he ever loved, Sweeney swears revenge and so begins a chilling tale of macabre murder and Mrs Lovett’s pies!
