WARNING: This musical is incredibly dark and contains numerous murders. I have included it in this course because it is interesting, comical, relatively modern and was requested by several people at the end of last term as well as being one of my personal favourites. So that this remains HOL appropriate, however, I won't be going into all the gory detail and I will be skipping over a few of the more adult parts of the show. Sorry if that disappoints you but I have to ensure this class stays accessible to all members of HOL.
Synopsis
The story begins at the end, that is the prologue is set after the rest of the musical. A chorus singing a haunting melody are throwing a body into a shallow grave, out of which rises Sweeney Todd. The Ballad of Sweeney Todd reappears throughout the show with differing lyrics depending on how far the story has progressed.
Sweeney Todd begins (properly) in 1846 as a sailor called Anthony arrives in London with Sweeney Todd who owes Anthony for rescuing him at sea. Todd begins his brooding straight away and his mood is not improved by a begger woman who acosts him as he arrives onshore. Todd tells Anthony a little about his former life but is careful not to give too much away. The two part and Todd travels to Fleet Street and Mrs Lovett's Pie Shop. Times are hard and Mrs Lovett's pies are awful but Todd isn't really interested in eating them as he wants to rent the barber's shop upstairs. Mrs Lovett tells the tale of the previous occupant of the shop, a young, handsom man called Benjamin Barker. Barker was banished on false charges brought by the corrupt Judge Turpin who wanted his wife and daughter for his own. After the poor man had been sent away the Judge tried to court the woman but she was resistant to his advances until one night when he lured her to a party and overpowered her. After this Barker's wife poisoned herself and the couple's daughter is taken in by the Judge. Mrs Lovett isn't a stupid woman and realises that Todd and Barker are the same man and reunites him with his silver razors which she had hidden. Todd swears that he will get revenge for what happened to his wife.
In another part of London, Anthony sees a beautiful girl with long blonde hair sitting in a bedroom window and instantly falls in love with her. He buys her a bird but it is killed by Beadle Bamford, the Judge's right hand man, as a warning to keep away. Anthony doesn't know that this girl is Todd's daughter and vows that he will rescue her from her prison.
The story now moves to a crowded market place where a street entertainer and barber, Mr Pirelli, is due to put on a show. Todd challenges him to a shave-off with the fastest, cleanest shave to be the winner. The Beadle is asked to decide the winner and Todd wins easily. He invites the Beadle to his shop for a free shave whenever he is in need of one although he takes rather longer than Todd would like to take him up on the offer. He is getting itchy fingers as he has planned to kill the Beadle with his razors. Anthony, however, does appear at the shop, asking Todd if he can hide his new love in the shop if he manages to rescue her. The next visitor is Pirelli who reveals that he isn't actually an Italian barber but instead an ex employee of Todd. He tries to blackmail Todd to keep the secret but instead he is killed by strangulation and his body dumped in a large trunk. His assistant, Toby, rushes into the room to find out where Pirelli has gone and is only calmed down with the offer of some of Mrs Lovett's gin. Once he goes downstairs Todd opens the trunk to find that Pirelli isn't yet dead so he slits his throat and finishes the job.
Back at the Judge's house, Turpin announces his plan to marry Johanna to protect her from the lusts of young many but really it is just to satisfy his own desires. He is shocked when she turns down his advances and it is only when the Beadle suggests that he needs to tidy himself up a little and get a shave that the Judge backs off a little. He goes over to Todd's shop and just as his throat is about to be slashed, Anthony rushes in, announcing loudly his plan to run away with Johanna. Todd is livid when the Judge storms off as he feels as if he has missed his chance to take his revenge. Mrs Lovett, however, is more interested in how they're going to dispose of Pirelli's body and the pair come up with an interesting solution... meat is very hard to come by and the pies need filling... with a plentiful supply of dead people the business is going to thrive!
And that's exactly what happens. Todd begins to kill people at random when they come into his shop, chosing those who won't be missed and disposing of them with a special chair that sends the bodies directly down to the cellar. Toby is helping in the shop and the only problem is the beggar woman who keeps coming into the pie shop and annoying the customers. Anthony, however, is still obsessing about Johanna and discovers that she has been sent to Fogg's Lunatic Asylum. With the help of Todd, they hatch a plan to rescue her by posing as wig makers who want blonde hair but Todd has ideas of his own. He sends a letter to the Judge informing him of Anthony's plan and telling him to come to the barber's shop so he can stop them.
Toby has become increasingly suspicious of Mr Todd and trys to warn Mrs Lovett to keep away from him. She tries to distract the boy by showing him how the meat grinder works and locks him in the cellar so that he won't cause any problems. When she returns to the pie shop she is greeted by the Beedle Bamford who has been sent to investigate the smell coming from their chimney. Todd saves the situation but offering him his free shave and killing him in the chair, however, when he sends the body down into the cellar Toby sees it and realises what the pair are up to. The deadly duo head down to the cellar to deal with Toby when Anthony arrives with Johanna who he hides up in the barber's shop whilst he goes off to find a coach to take them away. When Todd returns to the shop, the seach for the hiding Toby abandonned, he finds the beggar woman in there and promptly kills her and sends her down the chute, witnessed by a hiding Johanna. The Judge appears shortly after and sits in the chair for a shave, during which Todd reveals his true identity then kills the man who banished him. Johanna comes out of hiding and is about to meet the same fate when a scream from Mrs Lovett provides a distraction for her to escape.
Todd rushes down to the basement to find out what has happened by is assured by Mrs Lovett that it is nothing. In reality she has seen the beggar woman has been killed and knows of her real identity (I'm sure you've guessed who she is by now!) and is worried that Todd will recognise her, which he does as soon as he arrives in the bakehouse. Todd tells Mrs Lovett not to worry and the pair begin to dance but the ending is not a happy one for them as Todd waltzes her right into the oven before returning to the dead beggar woman. He puts up no fight when Toby appears behind him and slits his throat. There is time for one final chorus from the company with the ghosts of Todd and Mrs Lovett appearing from their graves to tell their tale of revenge.
Sweeney Todd begins (properly) in 1846 as a sailor called Anthony arrives in London with Sweeney Todd who owes Anthony for rescuing him at sea. Todd begins his brooding straight away and his mood is not improved by a begger woman who acosts him as he arrives onshore. Todd tells Anthony a little about his former life but is careful not to give too much away. The two part and Todd travels to Fleet Street and Mrs Lovett's Pie Shop. Times are hard and Mrs Lovett's pies are awful but Todd isn't really interested in eating them as he wants to rent the barber's shop upstairs. Mrs Lovett tells the tale of the previous occupant of the shop, a young, handsom man called Benjamin Barker. Barker was banished on false charges brought by the corrupt Judge Turpin who wanted his wife and daughter for his own. After the poor man had been sent away the Judge tried to court the woman but she was resistant to his advances until one night when he lured her to a party and overpowered her. After this Barker's wife poisoned herself and the couple's daughter is taken in by the Judge. Mrs Lovett isn't a stupid woman and realises that Todd and Barker are the same man and reunites him with his silver razors which she had hidden. Todd swears that he will get revenge for what happened to his wife.
In another part of London, Anthony sees a beautiful girl with long blonde hair sitting in a bedroom window and instantly falls in love with her. He buys her a bird but it is killed by Beadle Bamford, the Judge's right hand man, as a warning to keep away. Anthony doesn't know that this girl is Todd's daughter and vows that he will rescue her from her prison.
The story now moves to a crowded market place where a street entertainer and barber, Mr Pirelli, is due to put on a show. Todd challenges him to a shave-off with the fastest, cleanest shave to be the winner. The Beadle is asked to decide the winner and Todd wins easily. He invites the Beadle to his shop for a free shave whenever he is in need of one although he takes rather longer than Todd would like to take him up on the offer. He is getting itchy fingers as he has planned to kill the Beadle with his razors. Anthony, however, does appear at the shop, asking Todd if he can hide his new love in the shop if he manages to rescue her. The next visitor is Pirelli who reveals that he isn't actually an Italian barber but instead an ex employee of Todd. He tries to blackmail Todd to keep the secret but instead he is killed by strangulation and his body dumped in a large trunk. His assistant, Toby, rushes into the room to find out where Pirelli has gone and is only calmed down with the offer of some of Mrs Lovett's gin. Once he goes downstairs Todd opens the trunk to find that Pirelli isn't yet dead so he slits his throat and finishes the job.
Back at the Judge's house, Turpin announces his plan to marry Johanna to protect her from the lusts of young many but really it is just to satisfy his own desires. He is shocked when she turns down his advances and it is only when the Beadle suggests that he needs to tidy himself up a little and get a shave that the Judge backs off a little. He goes over to Todd's shop and just as his throat is about to be slashed, Anthony rushes in, announcing loudly his plan to run away with Johanna. Todd is livid when the Judge storms off as he feels as if he has missed his chance to take his revenge. Mrs Lovett, however, is more interested in how they're going to dispose of Pirelli's body and the pair come up with an interesting solution... meat is very hard to come by and the pies need filling... with a plentiful supply of dead people the business is going to thrive!
And that's exactly what happens. Todd begins to kill people at random when they come into his shop, chosing those who won't be missed and disposing of them with a special chair that sends the bodies directly down to the cellar. Toby is helping in the shop and the only problem is the beggar woman who keeps coming into the pie shop and annoying the customers. Anthony, however, is still obsessing about Johanna and discovers that she has been sent to Fogg's Lunatic Asylum. With the help of Todd, they hatch a plan to rescue her by posing as wig makers who want blonde hair but Todd has ideas of his own. He sends a letter to the Judge informing him of Anthony's plan and telling him to come to the barber's shop so he can stop them.
Toby has become increasingly suspicious of Mr Todd and trys to warn Mrs Lovett to keep away from him. She tries to distract the boy by showing him how the meat grinder works and locks him in the cellar so that he won't cause any problems. When she returns to the pie shop she is greeted by the Beedle Bamford who has been sent to investigate the smell coming from their chimney. Todd saves the situation but offering him his free shave and killing him in the chair, however, when he sends the body down into the cellar Toby sees it and realises what the pair are up to. The deadly duo head down to the cellar to deal with Toby when Anthony arrives with Johanna who he hides up in the barber's shop whilst he goes off to find a coach to take them away. When Todd returns to the shop, the seach for the hiding Toby abandonned, he finds the beggar woman in there and promptly kills her and sends her down the chute, witnessed by a hiding Johanna. The Judge appears shortly after and sits in the chair for a shave, during which Todd reveals his true identity then kills the man who banished him. Johanna comes out of hiding and is about to meet the same fate when a scream from Mrs Lovett provides a distraction for her to escape.
Todd rushes down to the basement to find out what has happened by is assured by Mrs Lovett that it is nothing. In reality she has seen the beggar woman has been killed and knows of her real identity (I'm sure you've guessed who she is by now!) and is worried that Todd will recognise her, which he does as soon as he arrives in the bakehouse. Todd tells Mrs Lovett not to worry and the pair begin to dance but the ending is not a happy one for them as Todd waltzes her right into the oven before returning to the dead beggar woman. He puts up no fight when Toby appears behind him and slits his throat. There is time for one final chorus from the company with the ghosts of Todd and Mrs Lovett appearing from their graves to tell their tale of revenge.
Main Characters
- Sweeney Todd - Also known as Benjamin Barker. Brooding and dark, Todd is a barber who is intent on getting revenge on those who caused him to be banished many years previously.
- Mrs Lovett - Runs a pie shop which is struggling due to lack of meat. She has dreams of settling down with Mr Todd and living happily ever after.
- Anthony - A young sailor boy who arrived in London with Todd and falls in love with the beautiful Johanna.
- Johanna - Kept locked away by her guardian, Johanna is beautiful and dreams of escaping. She is also Todd's daughter.
- Judge Turpin - A vilian of a man, he was responsible for Todd being banished in the first place. He takes in Johanna but has less than fatherly thoughts about her.
- Beadle Bamford - Does the evil biddings of the Judge. His right hand man.
- Aldolfo Pirelli - A street entertainer, flashy and Italian. In reality he is a former shop boy of Todd's and he tries to blackmail the man, threatening to reveal his true identity. Real name: Danny O'Higgins
- Tobias - A simple boy who is employed by Mr Pirelli. After Pirelli's departure he starts to work in the pie shop for Mrs Lovett. He never really trusts Todd and will do anything to protect Mrs Lovett.
- Beggar Woman - Hangs around a lot, causing trouble. Her true identity is only revealed at the end of the show but there's no happy ending for her.
Musical Numbers
|
End of Act 1 - The duo are plotting about what meat they could put in the pies.
|
Creators
Music/Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Sondheim (1930-present) is an American composer and lyricist who has made numerous contributions to musical theatre in a career which exceeds 50 years. He has won numerous awards including 8 Tony awards, something which makes him stand out from all other composers. His musical successes include West Side Story, Gypsy, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Follies and Sweeney Todd although he has also branched out to write songs for other stage productions as well as for film and television.
Sondheim (1930-present) is an American composer and lyricist who has made numerous contributions to musical theatre in a career which exceeds 50 years. He has won numerous awards including 8 Tony awards, something which makes him stand out from all other composers. His musical successes include West Side Story, Gypsy, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Follies and Sweeney Todd although he has also branched out to write songs for other stage productions as well as for film and television.
Book by Hugh Wheeler
Hugh Callingham Wheeler (1912-87) was born in England and attended London University before moving to the US where he lived the rest of his life. He started his professional career writing mystery novels under the pen names Patrick Quentin and Q. Patrick. Wheeler was a successful novelist for 20 years, during which time he wrote over 30 novels. Four of his books were turned into films before he turned his attention to the theatre. Wheeler's first play was called 'Big Fish, Little Fish' but it wasn't long before he moved into musical theatre writing. He wrote the book for 'A Little Night Music' and won a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award, a feat he repeated a year later for 'Candide'. Sweeney Todd again won him this pair of awards in 1979. Wheeler went on to write other musicals and is credited as a "research consultant" for the film 'Cabaret' although some sources describe him instead as co-writer.
Hugh Callingham Wheeler (1912-87) was born in England and attended London University before moving to the US where he lived the rest of his life. He started his professional career writing mystery novels under the pen names Patrick Quentin and Q. Patrick. Wheeler was a successful novelist for 20 years, during which time he wrote over 30 novels. Four of his books were turned into films before he turned his attention to the theatre. Wheeler's first play was called 'Big Fish, Little Fish' but it wasn't long before he moved into musical theatre writing. He wrote the book for 'A Little Night Music' and won a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award, a feat he repeated a year later for 'Candide'. Sweeney Todd again won him this pair of awards in 1979. Wheeler went on to write other musicals and is credited as a "research consultant" for the film 'Cabaret' although some sources describe him instead as co-writer.
Notable Productions
On Stage
Sweeney Todd premiered on Broadway on March 1st, 1979 at the Uris Theatre. It enjoyed a run of 557 performances and stared Angela Lansbury in the role of Mrs Lovett. The production received nine Tony Award nominations and won eight of them. The first national US tour began in October 1980 in Washington DC. Again Landsbury played the role of Mrs Lovett but her Todd was played by a new leading man. |
The show moved to the West End on July 2nd 1980. It received mixed reviews and only lasted for 157 performances before closing. It did win an Olivier Award for Best New Musical, however, during its short run. There have been numerous revivals since then in London and worldwide.
|
On Film
The film version of Sweeney Todd was released in 2007. It was directed by Tim Burton in his distinctive style and made over $150million at the box office. Johnny Depp took on the role of Sweeney Todd and Helena Bonham Carter played Mrs. Lovett. The film won 15 awards around the world including an Oscar and two Golden Globes. |
Interesting Facts
- Johnny Depp was a big gamble when he was given the role of Sweeney Todd in the film version. He was not known for his vocal abilities and took singing lessons before filming began.
- Sondheim was sent MP3s of his shortened and rearranged songs whilst the show was being adapted by film so he could approve any changes.
- This musical is based on the 1973 play of the same name by Christopher Bond.
- There remains debate about whether there really was a murderous barber in Fleet Street or if the whole story was made up as a scare story. A quick internet search will reveal both view points.
Sources: