“Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd” is an opening line that has been heard a lot recently, especially in the wake of the 2012 West End revival of Sondheim’s celebrated musical. Now, with the opening of Twickenham Theatre, you can hear it once more sung in all its haunting glory in director Derek Anderson’s production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
Led by a strong cast, this is a musical that entertains with moments both dark and hilariously funny. Although David Bedella’s portrayal of Sweeney Todd is convincing enough – despite being jarringly melodramatic at some later points in the musical – Sarah Ingram’s Mrs Lovett is quite fantastic. Ingram has total control over the audience, holding them in a moment with just a raised eyebrow or a particular expression, and absolutely owning it in terms of comic timing. They make a dynamic duo and with the full cast on stage, most notably in the musical numbers, the effect is quite impressive.
Twickenham Theatre is not a large space, but the way that space is used is effective enough to make you question it. Taking your seats, Simon Gethin Thomas’s lighting design draws all your focus to the stage in the centre; it is illuminated with the eerie glow of Victorian London and the room’s shadowy corners simultaneously add to the setting and create the illusion of a larger theatre. For a small space, the overall effect is very atmospheric.
I am somewhat of an anomaly in the fact that, before this, I had never before seen Sweeney Todd in any of its forms – be it on stage or on screen – yet it’s not hard to imagine that this production has not only a lot to follow but a lot to live up to. Perhaps unique to this production is its highly interactive staging, taking full advantage of the audience’s close proximity. From intense creepy eye-contact as characters sweep across the stage, to, yes, being splattered with blood, this production really does know how to engage an audience while keeping perfectly in tune with its sinister yet darkly comedic beat.
Whether you missed the show in its West End run, or haven’t even seen the film but think you should get round to it one day, I’d definitely try to catch a performance at Twickenham Theatre before it closes. It’s an experience you don’t want to pass up – leaving the theatre with ‘The Ballad of Sweeney Todd’ echoing in your ears.
Sweeney Todd is playing at the Twickenham Theatre until 4 October. For more information and tickets, see the Twickenham Theatre website.
Photo by Darren Bell.