Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street – Full Guide
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
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SWEENEY TODD
The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
A Musical Thriller by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler
A Story of Obsession, Revenge, and Meat Pies
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by Hugh Wheeler
Based on the 1970 play by Christopher Bond
Inspired by Victorian penny dreadful “The String of Pearls”
Overview
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (often referred to simply as Sweeney Todd) is a 1979 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler. It is based on the 1970 play Sweeney Todd by Christopher Bond. The character of Sweeney Todd first appeared in a Victorian penny dreadful titled The String of Pearls.
Sweeney Todd opened on Broadway in 1979 and in the West End in 1980. It won the Tony Award for Best Musical and Olivier Award for Best New Musical. It has been revived in many productions and inspired a film adaptation directed by Tim Burton in 2007.
Historical Origins
The Penny Dreadful Legend
The character Sweeney Todd originated in serialized Victorian popular fiction, known as penny dreadfuls. A story called The String of Pearls was published in a weekly magazine during the winter of 1846–47. Set in 1785, the story featured as its principal villain a certain Sweeney Todd and included all the plot elements used in later versions.
The murderous barber’s story was turned into a play before the ending had even been revealed in print. An expanded edition appeared in 1850, an American version in 1852, a new play in 1865. By the 1870s, Sweeney Todd was a familiar character to most Victorians.
Christopher Bond’s Psychological Backstory
The musical was based on Christopher Bond’s 1970 play Sweeney Todd, which introduced a psychological backstory and motivation to Todd’s crimes. In Bond’s reincarnation of the character, Todd was the victim of a ruthless judge, who exiled him to Australia and raped his young wife, driving her mad.
Stephen Sondheim first conceived of a musical version of the story in 1973, after he saw Bond’s take on the story at Theatre Royal Stratford East.
Development and Creation
Sondheim’s Vision
Sondheim felt that the addition of music would greatly increase the size of the drama, transforming it into a different theatrical experience:
What I did to Chris’ play is more than enhance it. I had a feeling it would be a new animal. The effect it had at Stratford East in London and the effect it had at the Uris Theater in New York are two entirely different effects, even though it’s the same play. It was essentially charming over there because they don’t take Sweeney Todd seriously. Our production was larger in scope. Hal Prince gave it an epic sense, a sense that this was a man of some size instead of just a nut case. The music helps to give it that dimension.
Music as Structure
Music proved to be a key element behind the impact of Sweeney Todd on audiences. Over eighty percent of the production is set to music, either sung or underscoring dialogue. The score is one vast structure, each individual part meshing with others for the good of the entire musical machine. Never before or later in his work did Sondheim utilize music in such an exhaustive capacity to further the purposes of the drama.
The Pairing of Horror and Comedy
Sondheim decided to pair one of the most nightmarish songs (Sweeney Todd’s “Epiphany”) with the comic-relief of “A Little Priest”. This pair of songs at the end of Act I was the most significant musical addition which Sondheim made to Bond’s version of the story. In the play, Sweeney Todd’s mental collapse and the subsequent plan for Lovett’s meat pies take place in less than half a page of dialogue, much too quickly to convey the full psychological impact. Sondheim’s version more carefully reveals the developing ideas in Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett’s demented minds.
About Obsession
Sondheim often said that his Sweeney Todd was about obsession – and close friends seemed to instinctually agree. When Sondheim first played songs from an early version of the show for Judy Prince (wife of the show’s director), she told him: “Oh God – I didn’t know this was what [Sweeney Todd] was about. It’s nothing to do with Grand Guignol. It’s the story of your [own] life.”
Harold Prince’s Industrial Revolution Metaphor
When Sondheim first brought the idea for the show to director Harold Prince, his frequent collaborator, Prince was uninterested, feeling it was a simple melodrama that was not very experimental structurally. However, Prince soon discovered a metaphor in which to set the show, making what Sondheim had originally envisioned as “a small horror piece” into a colossal portrait of the Industrial Revolution, and an examination of the general human condition of the time as it related to men like Sweeney Todd.
However, Sondheim accepted Prince’s vision as a different way to do the show, and as an opportunity to do the show on a large scale, knowing that small-scale productions could be done at any time.
The Iron Foundry Set
On the stage of the Uris Theater in New York, this tale of horrors was transformed into a mountain of steel in motion. Prince’s scenic metaphor for Sweeney Todd was a 19th-century iron foundry moved from Rhode Island and reassembled on the stage, which critic Jack Kroll aptly described as “part cathedral, part factory, part prison, that dwarfed and degraded the swarming denizens of the lower orders”.
Casting the Demons
Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Lovett
When it came to casting, Sondheim thought stage veteran Angela Lansbury would add some needed comedy to the grim tale as the lunatic Cockney shopkeeper, but Lansbury needed to be convinced. She was a star and, as she pointed out to Sondheim, “Your show is not called Nellie Lovett, it’s called Sweeney Todd. And I’m the second banana.”
To convince her, Sondheim “auditioned”, writing a couple of songs for her, including the macabre patter song, “A Little Priest”. And he gave her the key to the character, saying, “I want Mrs. Lovett to have a music hall character.” Lansbury, who had grown up in British music halls, immediately got it. “Not just music hall… but dotty music hall”, as she put it.
After she was formally confirmed in the role, she relished the opportunity, saying that she loved “the extraordinary wit and intelligence of [Sondheim’s] lyrics.”
Len Cariou as Sweeney Todd
Canadian actor and singer Len Cariou was Sondheim’s personal choice to play the tortured barber. In preparation for the role, Cariou (who was studying with a voice teacher at the time) asked Sondheim what kind of range he needed to have in the role. Cariou told him he was prepared to give Sondheim a couple of octaves to deal with, and Sondheim immediately replied, “That would be more than sufficient.”
Creating the Characters
With Prince absorbed in staging the mammoth production, Lansbury and Cariou were left largely to their own when it came to developing their characters. They worked together on all their scenes, both of them creative actors who were experienced in giving intense performances.
Angela Lansbury: “I just ran with it. The wide-openness of my portrayal had to do with my sink or swim attitude toward it. I just figured hell, I’ve done everything else on Broadway, I might as well go with Mrs. Lovett.”
Opera or Musical?
It is said that on opening night Harold Clurman, the doyen of American theatre critics, rushed up to Schuyler Chapin, former general manager of the Metropolitan Opera, demanding to know why he had not put it on at the Met. To which Chapin replied: “I would have put it on like a shot if I’d had the opportunity. There would have been screams and yells but I wouldn’t have given a damn. Because it is an opera. A modern American opera.”
The Plot: A Tale of Blood and Revenge
“Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd”
Prologue
The citizens of London, who act as a Greek chorus throughout the play, drop a body bag and pour ashes into a shallow grave. Sweeney Todd rises forth (“The Ballad of Sweeney Todd”), and introduces the drama.
Act I
The Return to London (1846)
Young sailor Anthony Hope and the mysterious Sweeney Todd, whom Anthony has recently rescued at sea and befriended, dock in London. A beggar woman sexually solicits them, appearing to recognize Todd for a moment (“No Place Like London”), and Todd shoos her away.
Todd obliquely relates some of his troubled past to Anthony: he was a naïve barber, “removed…from his plate” by a corrupt judge who lusted after Todd’s wife (“The Barber and His Wife”).
Mrs. Lovett’s Pie Shop
Todd enters a meat pie shop on Fleet Street, where the owner, the slatternly widow Mrs. Lovett, laments the scarcity of meat and customers (“Worst Pies in London”).
When Todd asks after the empty upstairs apartment, she reveals that its former tenant, Benjamin Barker, was transported for life based on false charges by Judge Turpin, who, along with his servant, Beadle Bamford, then lured Barker’s wife Lucy to a masked ball at the Judge’s home and raped her (“Poor Thing”).
Todd’s reaction reveals that he is himself Benjamin Barker. Promising to keep his secret, Mrs. Lovett explains that Lucy poisoned herself with arsenic and that their then-infant daughter, Johanna, became the Judge’s ward. Todd swears revenge on the Judge and the Beadle, and Mrs. Lovett presents Todd with his old collection of sterling silver straight razors (“My Friends” and “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd” – reprise).
Johanna and Anthony
Elsewhere, Anthony spies a beautiful girl singing at her window (“Green Finch and Linnet Bird”), and the beggar woman tells him that her name is Johanna. Unaware that Johanna is his friend Todd’s daughter, Anthony is immediately enamored (“Ah, Miss”), and he pledges to return for her, even after the judge and the Beadle threaten him and chase him away (“Johanna”).
The Contest
In the crowded London marketplace, flamboyant Italian barber Adolfo Pirelli and his simple-minded young assistant Tobias Ragg pitch a dramatic cure-all for hair loss (“Pirelli’s Miracle Elixir”). Todd and Lovett soon arrive; as part of his plan to establish his new identity, Todd exposes the elixir as a sham, challenges Pirelli to a shaving competition and easily wins (“The Contest”), inviting the impressed Beadle for a free shave.
Judge Turpin’s Lust
Several days later, Judge Turpin flagellates himself in a frenzy over a growing lust for Johanna, but instead resolves to marry her himself (“Johanna – Mea Culpa”).
Pirelli’s Death
Todd awaits the Beadle’s arrival with mounting impatience, but Mrs. Lovett tries to soothe him (“Wait”). When Anthony tells Todd of his plan to ask Johanna to elope with him, Todd, eager to reunite with his daughter, agrees to let them use his barbershop as a safehouse.
As Anthony leaves, Pirelli and Tobias enter, and Mrs. Lovett takes Tobias downstairs for a pie. Alone with Todd, Pirelli drops his Italian accent and reveals that he is really Daniel O’Higgins, Benjamin Barker’s former assistant. He knows Todd’s true identity and demands half his income for life. Todd kills O’Higgins by slitting his throat (“Pirelli’s Death”) and temporarily hides his body.
Pretty Women
Meanwhile, Johanna and Anthony plan their elopement (“Kiss Me”), while the Beadle recommends Todd’s grooming services to the Judge so that the judge may better win Johanna’s affections (“Ladies in Their Sensitivities”).
Panicked at first on learning of Pirelli’s murder, Mrs. Lovett swipes his leftover coin purse and then asks Todd how he plans to dispose of the body. Suddenly, the judge enters; Todd quickly seats him and lulls him with a relaxing conversation (“Pretty Women”).
Before Todd can kill the judge, however, Anthony re-enters and blurts out his elopement plan. The angry judge storms out, vowing never to return and to send Johanna away.
Epiphany
Todd drives Anthony out in a fit of fury and, reminded of the evil he sees in London, resolves to depopulate the city by murdering his future customers since all people deserve to die: the wicked to be punished for their deeds, and the “rest of us” to be relieved of their misery (“Epiphany”).
A Little Priest
While discussing how to dispose of Pirelli’s body, Mrs. Lovett is struck by a sudden idea and suggests that they use the bodies of Todd’s victims in her meat pies, and Todd happily agrees (“A Little Priest”).
Act II
The Thriving Business
Several weeks later, Mrs. Lovett’s pie shop has become a successful business, and Tobias works there as a waiter. The pies are very popular (“God, That’s Good!”).
Todd has acquired a special mechanical barber’s chair that allows him to kill clients and then send their bodies directly through a chute into the pie shop’s basement bakehouse. Casually slitting his customers’ necks, Todd despairs of ever seeing Johanna, while Anthony searches London for her (“Johanna – Quartet”).
The Asylum
Anthony finds Johanna locked away in a private lunatic asylum, but barely escapes being placed under arrest by the Beadle. After a day of hard work, while Todd remains fixated on his revenge, Mrs. Lovett envisions eloping with Todd and retiring to the seaside (“By the Sea”).
Anthony arrives to beg Todd for help to free Johanna, and Todd, revitalised, instructs Anthony to rescue her by posing as a wigmaker intent on purchasing inmates’ hair (“Wigmaker Sequence”). However, once Anthony has departed, Todd sends a letter informing the Judge that Anthony will bring Johanna to his shop just after dark, and that he will hand her over (“The Letter”) in order to lure him back to the shop.
Not While I’m Around
In the pie shop, Tobias tells Mrs. Lovett of his skepticism about Todd and his own desire to protect her (“Not While I’m Around”). When he recognizes Pirelli’s coin purse in Mrs. Lovett’s hands, she distracts him by showing him the bakehouse, instructing him how to work the meat grinder and the oven before locking him in.
Upstairs, she encounters the Beadle at her harmonium; he has been asked by Lovett’s neighbors to investigate the strange smoke and stench from the pie shop’s chimney. Mrs. Lovett stalls the Beadle with “Parlor Songs” until Todd returns to offer the Beadle his promised “free shave”; Mrs. Lovett loudly plays her harmonium to cover the Beadle’s screams above as Todd dispatches him. In the basement, Tobias discovers hair and fingernails in a pie he has been eating, just as the Beadle’s fresh corpse comes tumbling through the chute. Terrified, he flees into the sewers below the bakehouse.
City on Fire
Anthony arrives at the asylum to rescue Johanna, but is exposed when Johanna recognizes him. Anthony draws a pistol given to him by Todd, but cannot bring himself to shoot Jonas Fogg, the corrupt asylum owner; Johanna grabs the pistol and kills Fogg.
As Anthony and Johanna flee, the asylum’s freed inmates prophesy the end of the world, while Todd and Mrs. Lovett hunt through the sewers for Tobias, and the beggar woman fears what has become of the Beadle (“City on Fire/Searching”).
The Final Tragedy
Anthony and Johanna (now disguised as a sailor) arrive at Todd’s empty shop. Anthony leaves to seek a coach after he and Johanna reaffirm their love. Johanna hears the beggar woman entering and hides in a trunk in the barbershop. The beggar woman seems to recognize the room (“Beggar Woman’s Lullaby”). Todd enters and tries to force her to leave as she again seems to recognize him. Hearing the Judge outside, a frantic Todd kills the beggar woman, sending her body down the chute barely a moment before the Judge bursts in.
The Judge’s Return
Todd assures the Judge that Johanna is repentant, and the judge asks for a quick splash of cologne. Once he has the Judge in his chair, Todd soothes him with another conversation on women, but this time he alludes to their “fellow tastes, in women at least”. The Judge recognizes him as “Benjamin Barker!” just before Todd slashes his throat and sends him hurtling down the chute (“The Judge’s Return”).
The Terrible Truth
Remembering Tobias, Todd starts to leave, but, realizing he has left his razor behind, returns just as the disguised Johanna rises, horrified, from the trunk. Not recognizing her, Todd attempts to kill her, just as Mrs. Lovett shrieks from the bakehouse below, providing a distraction for Johanna to escape.
Downstairs, Mrs. Lovett is struggling with the dying Judge, who clutches at her dress. She then attempts to drag the beggar woman’s body into the oven, but Todd arrives and, through a shaft of light, sees the lifeless face clearly for the first time: the beggar woman was his wife Lucy.
Mrs. Lovett Had Lied
Final Scene
Horrified, Todd accuses Mrs. Lovett of lying to him. Mrs. Lovett frantically denies it, explaining that Lucy did indeed poison herself, but lived, although the attempt left her insane. Mrs. Lovett then tells Todd she loves him and would be a better wife than Lucy ever could have been.
Todd feigns forgiveness, dancing manically with Mrs. Lovett until he hurls her into the oven, burning her alive. Full of despair and in shock, Todd embraces the dead Lucy. Tobias, now insane and his hair turned white, crawls up from the sewer babbling nursery rhymes to himself. He picks up Todd’s fallen razor and slits Todd’s throat.
As Todd falls dead and Tobias drops the razor, Anthony, Johanna and some constables break into the bakehouse. Tobias, heedless of them, begins turning the meat grinder, crooning Mrs. Lovett’s previous instructions to him (“Final Scene”).
Finale
The ensemble cast, soon joined by the risen Todd and Mrs. Lovett, sing a final reprise of “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd” warning against revenge (though admitting that “everyone does it”). Tearing off their costumes, the company exits. Todd sneers and vanishes.
Principal Characters
The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. A wronged man driven mad by revenge, wielding his silver razors with deadly precision.
The resourceful pie shop owner who turns Todd’s murders into a thriving business. Hopelessly in love with Todd.
The naïve young sailor who rescues Todd and falls in love with Johanna.
Todd’s daughter, ward of the corrupt Judge Turpin. A beautiful caged bird longing for freedom.
The vile judge who destroyed Barker’s life, raped his wife, and now lusts after his own ward, Johanna.
The Judge’s corrupt servant and accomplice in his crimes.
Pirelli’s simple-minded assistant who becomes devoted to Mrs. Lovett and discovers the terrible truth.
The flamboyant Italian barber who is actually Barker’s former assistant turned blackmailer.
A mad woman haunting Fleet Street, she is the key to the tragedy – Todd’s wife who survived arsenic poisoning.
Musical Numbers
The Score
- “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd” (Opening)
- “No Place Like London”
- “The Barber and His Wife”
- “The Worst Pies in London”
- “Poor Thing”
- “My Friends”
- “Green Finch and Linnet Bird”
- “Ah, Miss”
- “Johanna”
- “Pirelli’s Miracle Elixir”
- “The Contest”
- “Wait”
- “Kiss Me”
- “Ladies in Their Sensitivities”
- “Pirelli’s Death”
- “Pretty Women”
- “Epiphany”
- “A Little Priest”
- “God, That’s Good!”
- “Johanna (Quartet)”
- “By the Sea”
- “Wigmaker Sequence”
- “The Letter”
- “Not While I’m Around”
- “Parlor Songs”
- “City on Fire/Searching”
- “Beggar Woman’s Lullaby”
- “The Judge’s Return”
- “Final Scene”
- “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd” (Finale)
Original Broadway Production (1979-1980)
The original production premiered on Broadway at the Uris Theatre on March 1, 1979, and closed on June 29, 1980, after 557 performances and 19 previews.
Creative Team
- Director: Hal Prince
- Choreographer: Larry Fuller
- Scenic Design: Eugene Lee
- Costume Design: Franne Lee
- Lighting Design: Ken Billington
Original Cast
| Role | Actor |
|---|---|
| Sweeney Todd | Len Cariou |
| Mrs. Lovett | Angela Lansbury |
| Anthony Hope | Victor Garber |
| Johanna Barker | Sarah Rice |
| Judge Turpin | Edmund Lyndeck |
| Beadle Bamford | Jack Eric Williams |
| Tobias Ragg | Ken Jennings |
| Adolfo Pirelli | Joaquin Romaguera |
| Beggar Woman | Merle Louise |
1979 Tony Awards
Winner Best Musical
Winner Best Book of a Musical – Hugh Wheeler
Winner Best Original Score – Stephen Sondheim
Winner Best Actor in a Musical – Len Cariou
Winner Best Actress in a Musical – Angela Lansbury
Winner Best Direction of a Musical – Harold Prince
Winner Best Scenic Design – Eugene Lee
Winner Best Costume Design – Franne Lee
Won 8 of 9 Tony Award nominations
Dorothy Loudon and George Hearn replaced Lansbury and Cariou on March 4, 1980. Other replacements include Cris Groenendaal as Anthony and Betsy Joslyn as Johanna.
First National Tour (1980-1981)
The first national U.S. tour started on October 24, 1980, in Washington, D.C. and ended in August 1981 in Los Angeles, California. Lansbury was joined by Hearn and this version was taped during the Los Angeles engagement and broadcast on The Entertainment Channel on September 12, 1982.
This performance would later be repeated on Showtime and PBS (the latter as part of its Great Performances series); It was later released on home video and on DVD. The taped production was nominated for five Primetime Emmy Awards in 1985, winning three including Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program (for George Hearn).
Second National Tour (1982)
A North American tour started on February 23, 1982, in Wilmington, Delaware, and ended on July 17, 1982, in Toronto, Ontario. June Havoc and Ross Petty starred.
Original West End Production (1980)
The first London production opened on July 2, 1980, at the West End’s Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, starring Denis Quilley and Sheila Hancock along with Andrew C. Wadsworth as Anthony, Mandy More as Johanna, Michael Staniforth as Tobias, Austin Kent as Judge Turpin, Dilys Watling as the Beggar Woman, David Wheldon-Williams as Beadle Bamford, Oz Clarke as Jonas Fogg, and John Aron as Pirelli.
The show ran for 157 performances. Despite receiving mixed reviews, the production won the Olivier Award for Best New Musical in 1980. The production closed on November 14, 1980.
Broadway Revivals
1989 Revival: “Teeny Todd”
The first Broadway revival opened on September 14, 1989, at the Circle in the Square Theatre, and closed on February 25, 1990, after 189 performances and 46 previews.
Production Details
- Producer: Theodore Mann
- Director: Susan H. Schulman
- Choreography: Michael Lichtefeld
The cast featured Bob Gunton (Sweeney Todd), Beth Fowler (Mrs. Lovett), Eddie Korbich (Tobias Ragg), Jim Walton (Anthony Hope) and David Barron (Judge Turpin). In contrast to the original Broadway version, the production was designed on a relatively intimate scale and was affectionately referred to as “Teeny Todd.”
It was originally produced Off-Broadway by the York Theatre Company at the Church of the Heavenly Rest from March 31, 1989, to April 29, 1989. This production received four Tony Award nominations: for Best Revival of a Musical, Best Actor in a Musical, Best Actress in a Musical and Best Direction of a Musical, but failed to win any.
2005 Revival: The Actor-Musician Production
In 2004, John Doyle directed the musical at the Watermill Theatre in Newbury, England, running from July 27 until October 9, 2004. This production transferred to the West End’s Trafalgar Studios and then the Ambassadors Theatre. The 10-person cast played the score themselves on musical instruments that they carried onstage.
A version of the same production transferred to Broadway, opening on November 3, 2005, at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre with a new cast, all of whom played their own instruments, as had been done in London.
Cast (with Instruments)
| Role | Actor | Instrument |
|---|---|---|
| Mrs. Lovett | Patti LuPone | Tuba/Percussion |
| Sweeney Todd | Michael Cerveris | Guitar |
| Tobias | Manoel Felciano | Violin/Clarinet/Piano |
| Beadle | Alexander Gemignani | Piano/Trumpet |
| Johanna | Lauren Molina | Cello |
| Anthony | Benjamin Magnuson | Cello/Piano |
| Judge Turpin | Mark Jacoby | Trumpet/Percussion |
| Pirelli | Donna Lynne Champlin | Accordion/Flute/Piano |
| Beggar Woman | Diana DiMarzio | Clarinet |
| Jonas Fogg | John Arbo | Double bass |
After 35 previews, the production ran for 349 performances and was nominated for six Tony Awards, winning two (Best Direction of a Musical for Doyle and Best Orchestrations for Sarah Travis). Because of the small scale of the musical, it cost $3.5 million to make, a sum small in comparison to many Broadway musicals, and recouped the investment in nineteen weeks.
A national tour based on the production began on August 30, 2007, with Judy Kaye (who had temporarily replaced LuPone in the Broadway run) as Mrs. Lovett and David Hess as Todd.
2023-2024 Revival
The musical began previews on February 26 and opened on March 26, 2023, at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre.
Original Cast
| Role | Actor |
|---|---|
| Sweeney Todd | Josh Groban |
| Mrs. Lovett | Annaleigh Ashford |
| Anthony | Jordan Fisher |
| Tobias | Gaten Matarazzo |
| Johanna | Maria Bilbao |
| Judge Turpin | Jamie Jackson |
| Beggar Woman | Ruthie Ann Miles |
| Beadle Bamford | John Rapson |
| Pirelli | Nicholas Christopher |
Creative Team
- Director: Thomas Kail
- Choreography: Steven Hoggett
- Musical Supervision: Alex Lacamoire
- Orchestrations: Jonathan Tunick (restored original)
Groban and Ashford were replaced by Aaron Tveit and Sutton Foster for a 12-week limited run starting February 9 until the closing. Joe Locke took over the role of Tobias on January 31, 2024. The production closed on May 5, 2024.
The production began a workshop three days after Sondheim’s death in November 2021; he had planned to attend the workshop’s final day. The production had a budget of $14 million.
West End Revivals
1993 Royal National Theatre
In 1993, the show received its first London revival at the Royal National Theatre. The production opened at the Cottesloe Theatre on June 2, 1993, and later transferred to the Lyttleton Theatre on December 16, 1993, playing in repertory and closing on June 1, 1994.
The director was Declan Donnellan and the Cottesloe Theatre production starred Alun Armstrong as Todd and Julia McKenzie as Mrs. Lovett, with Adrian Lester as Anthony, Barry James as Beadle Bamford and Denis Quilley (who had originated the title role in the original London production in 1980) as Judge Turpin.
Olivier Awards
Winner Best Musical Revival
Winner Best Actor (Armstrong)
Winner Best Actress in a Musical (McKenzie)
Winner Best Director of a Musical (Donnellan)
2011-2012 Chichester/West End
Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton starred in a new production of the show that played at The Chichester Festival Theatre, running from September 24 to November 5, 2011. Directed by Jonathan Kent, it was notably set in the 1930s instead of 1846 and restored the oft-cut song “Johanna (Mea Culpa)”.
The production received positive reviews and transferred to the Adelphi Theatre in the West End in 2012 for a limited run from March 10 to September 22, 2012. Comedian Jason Manford made his musical debut as Pirelli.
2012 Olivier Awards
Winner Best Musical Revival
Winner Best Actor in a Musical (Ball)
Winner Best Actress in a Musical (Staunton)
2014-2015 Tooting Pie Shop Production
The Tooting Arts Club presented a site-specific production at Harrington’s Pie Shop in Tooting, London in October and November 2014. Sondheim attended and enjoyed the production and told producer Cameron Mackintosh who later produced a West End transfer at a pie shop recreated in Shaftesbury Avenue and ran from March 19 to May 16, 2015.
The cast included Jeremy Secomb as Sweeney Todd, Siobhán McCarthy as Mrs. Lovett, Nadim Naaman as Anthony, Ian Mowat as the Beadle, Duncan Smith as the Judge, Kiara Jay as Pirelli and the Beggar Woman, Joseph Taylor as Tobias and Zoe Doano as Johanna.
2017-2018 Barrow Street Theatre (Off-Broadway)
The Tooting Arts Club production transferred Off-Broadway, transforming the Barrow Street Theatre into a re-creation of Harrington’s pie shop. Previews began February 14, 2017, before an opening on March 1.
The cast featured four members of the London cast: Secomb as Todd, McCarthy as Mrs. Lovett, Duncan Smith as the Judge and Taylor as Tobias. From April, replacements included Norm Lewis as Todd, Carolee Carmello as Mrs. Lovett and Jamie Jackson as Turpin. Later replacements included Hugh Panaro as Todd. The production closed on August 26, 2018.
International Productions (Selected)
Australia
1987: State Opera of South Australia
Australia’s first professional production in Adelaide, directed by Gale Edwards, featuring Lyndon Terracini as Todd and Nancye Hayes as Mrs. Lovett.
1987-1988: Melbourne Theatre Company
Version opened at the Playhouse in Melbourne, directed by Roger Hodgman with Peter Carroll as Sweeney Todd and Geraldine Turner as Mrs. Lovett. The production toured to Sydney and Brisbane in 1988.
2015-2016: Victorian Opera/New Zealand Opera
Performed at Melbourne Arts Centre in 2015. Revived for New Zealand Opera in 2016, visiting Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, starring Teddy Tahu Rhodes as Sweeney Todd and Antoinette Halloran as Mrs. Lovett.
2019: Life Like Company
Limited run at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne and Darling Harbour Theatre, ICC Sydney, starring Anthony Warlow as Sweeney Todd, Gina Riley as Mrs. Lovett, Debra Byrne as the Beggar Woman and Michael Falzon as Pirelli.
Europe
1992: Hungary (Erkel Theater, Budapest)
Translated into Hungarian by Tibor Miklós and György Dénes. Starred Lajos Miller as Sweeney Todd and Zsuzsa Lehoczky as Mrs. Lovett.
1995: Catalonia/Spain
Premiered April 5, 1995, in Catalan at the theater Poliorama of Barcelona, directed by Mario Gas. Starred Constantino Romero as Sweeney Todd and Vicky Peña as Mrs. Lovett. The show received over fifteen awards.
1997: Finnish National Opera
Premiered September 19, 1997, directed by Staffan Aspegren, starring Sauli Tiilikainen (Sweeney Todd) and Ritva Auvinen (Mrs. Lovett). Translated by Juice Leskinen.
2008: Gothenburg, Sweden
Played in May and June at The Göteborg Opera, featuring Michael McCarthy as Sweeney Todd and Rosemary Ashe as Mrs Lovett.
2011: Paris (Théâtre du Châtelet)
Directed by Lee Blakeley, featuring Rod Gilfry and Franco Pomponi (Sweeney Todd) and Caroline O’Connor (Mrs Lovett).
2015: Welsh National Opera
Performed as part of their “Madness” season, directed by James Brining, set in the 1970/1980s. Starred David Arnsperger as Todd and Janis Kelly as Mrs. Lovett.
North America (Regional/Concert)
1994: East West Players, Los Angeles
Directed by Tim Dang, featuring a largely Asian Pacific American cast. First time the show had been presented in an intimate house (Equity 99-seat). Josh Groban, the original 2023 Sweeney Todd, saw that production. Received 5 Ovation Awards.
2002: Kennedy Center Sondheim Celebration
Ran in May and June at the Eisenhower Theatre, starring Brian Stokes Mitchell as Sweeney Todd and Christine Baranski as Mrs. Lovett. Directed by Christopher Ashley.
2007: Gate Theatre, Dublin
David Shannon starred as Todd. Minimalistic approach with 14 performers and seven-piece band. When a character died, flour was poured over them.
2014: Landless Theatre Company, Washington D.C.
Progressive metal version featuring Nina Osegueda (A Sound of Thunder) as Mrs. Lovett. Received three 2015 Helen Hayes Awards nominations. Revived in 2023.
2014-2015: Quebec City
First French-language production by Théâtre Décibel, translated by Joëlle Bond, directed by Louis Morin. Starred Renaud Paradis as Sweeney Todd and Katee Julien as Mrs. Lovett.
2015-2016: South Africa
Pieter Toerien and KickstArt produced at Pieter Toerien Monte Casino Theatre in Johannesburg (October-December 2015), then Theatre on the Bay in Cape Town (February-April 2016). Directed by Steven Stead, starring Jonathan Roxmouth and Charon Williams-Ros.
Philippines
2019: Atlantis Theatrical
Directed by Bobby Garcia with musical direction by Gerard Salonga. Starred Jett Pangan as Sweeney Todd and Lea Salonga as Mrs. Lovett, with Gerald Santos as Anthony and Nyoy Volante as Pirelli. Debuted October 2019 at The Theater at Solaire.
Mexico
2018: Valtru Production
First Mexican production opened July 7, 2018, at the Foro Cultural Coyoacanense’s starring Lupita Sandoval and Beto Torres.
Opera Company Productions
Sweeney Todd has gained widespread acceptance by opera companies, blurring the line between musical theatre and opera.
Houston Grand Opera (1984)
The first opera company to mount Sweeney Todd was the Houston Grand Opera in a production directed by Hal Prince, which ran from June 14 to June 24, 1984, for a total of 10 performances. Conducted by John DeMain, starring Timothy Nolen in the title role and Joyce Castle as Mrs. Lovett.
New York City Opera (1984, 1986, 2004)
In 1984 the show was presented by the New York City Opera. Hal Prince recreated the staging using the simplified set of the 2nd national tour. It was well received and most performances sold out. It was brought back for limited runs in 1986 and 2004. Notably the 2004 production starred Mark Delavan and Elaine Paige.
Opera North (1998)
The show was performed by Opera North in 1998 in the UK starring Steven Page and Beverley Klein, directed by David McVicar and conducted by James Holmes.
International Opera Acceptance (2000s)
In the early 2000s, Sweeney Todd gained acceptance with opera companies throughout the United States, Canada, Japan, Germany, Israel, Spain, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Australia.
- Lyric Opera of Chicago (2002): Bryn Terfel performed the title role
- Royal Opera House, London (2003-2004): Sir Thomas Allen as Todd, Felicity Palmer as Mrs. Lovett
- Finnish National Opera (1997-98): Full production
- Israeli National Opera: Performed twice
- Icelandic Opera (2004): First time in Iceland
- San Francisco Opera (2015): Brian Mulligan as Todd, Stephanie Blythe as Mrs. Lovett
- Copenhagen Opera House (2019): Full production
Concert Performances
New York Philharmonic Concerts
2000 Concert (Avery Fisher Hall)
Director Lonny Price directed a semi-staged concert on May 4–6, 2000, with George Hearn (last-minute substitute for Bryn Terfel), Patti LuPone (Mrs. Lovett), Neil Patrick Harris (Tobias), and Audra McDonald (Beggar-Woman/Lucy). This concert also played in San Francisco July 19–21, 2001, and was taped for PBS, winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Classical Music-Dance Program.
2014 Concert (Avery Fisher Hall)
Price directed a new concert March 5–8 with Bryn Terfel as Todd, Emma Thompson as Mrs. Lovett, Philip Quast as Judge Turpin, Christian Borle as Pirelli, and Audra McDonald and Bryonha Marie Parham sharing the role of The Beggar Woman. The concert was filmed for PBS as part of Live from Lincoln Center and won Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Program. This production transferred to London Coliseum Theatre for 13 performances from March 30 through April 12, 2015.
Other Notable Concerts
1999: Los Angeles (Ahmanson Theatre)
“Reprise!” Concert version with Kelsey Grammer as Todd, Christine Baranski as Mrs. Lovett, Neil Patrick Harris as Tobias, Davis Gaines as Anthony, and Melissa Manchester as The Beggar Woman.
2000, 2007: Royal Festival Hall, London
2000: Len Cariou as Todd, Judy Kaye as Mrs. Lovett. 2007: 4-day concert with Bryn Terfel, Maria Friedman, Daniel Boys and Philip Quast.
Film Adaptation (2007)
A feature film adaptation of Sweeney Todd, directed by Tim Burton with a screenplay by John Logan, was released on December 21, 2007.
Film Cast
| Role | Actor |
|---|---|
| Sweeney Todd | Johnny Depp |
| Mrs. Lovett | Helena Bonham Carter |
| Judge Turpin | Alan Rickman |
| Pirelli | Sacha Baron Cohen |
| Anthony Hope | Jamie Campbell Bower |
| Beggar Woman | Laura Michelle Kelly |
| Johanna | Jayne Wisener |
| Tobias | Ed Sanders |
| Beadle Bamford | Timothy Spall |
Film Awards
Winner Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Winner Golden Globe Award for Best Actor (Johnny Depp)
Academy Award Nomination: Best Actor (Johnny Depp)
The film was well received by critics and theatregoers.
Musical Analysis
Themes and Meaning
Stephen Sondheim believed that Sweeney Todd is a story of revenge and how it consumes a vengeful person. He asserted, “what the show is really about is obsession”.
Unlike most previous representations of the story, the musical avoids a simplistic view of devilish crimes. Instead, the characters’ “emotional and psychological depths” are examined, so that Sweeney Todd is understood as a victim as well as a perpetrator in the “great black pit” of humanity.
The Score
Sondheim’s score is one of his most complex, with orchestrations by his long-time collaborator Jonathan Tunick. Relying heavily on counterpoint and angular harmonies, its compositional style has been compared to Maurice Ravel, Sergei Prokofiev, and Bernard Herrmann.
Musical Techniques
- Dies Irae: Sondheim utilizes the ancient “Dies irae” in the ballad that runs throughout the score, later heard in a melodic inversion, and in the accompaniment to “Epiphany”
- Leitmotif: At least twenty distinct leitmotifs can be identified throughout the score
- The Ballad: “Most scene changes bring back ‘The Ballad of Sweeney Todd’, which includes both fast and slow versions of the ‘Dies Irae'”
Opera or Musical?
Depending on how and where the show is presented, it is sometimes considered an opera. Sondheim himself has described the piece as a “black operetta”, and indeed, only about 20% of the show is spoken; the rest is sung-through.
On the other hand, it can be seen as a precursor to the later trend of musicals based on horror themes, such as Little Shop of Horrors (1982), The Phantom of the Opera (1986), Jekyll & Hyde (1997) and Dance of the Vampires (1997).
Cast Recordings and Broadcasts
Official Recordings
1979: Original Broadway Cast Recording
Released by RCA Red Seal. Included the Judge’s “Johanna” and the tooth-pulling contest from Act I, which had been cut in previews. Selected by the National Recording Registry for preservation in 2013.
1981-1982: Touring Production Television Special
Taped before an audience in 1981 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. Televised September 12, 1982. Released on VHS and DVD. Won three Primetime Emmy Awards.
1994: Royal National Theatre (BBC Broadcast)
Broadcast by the BBC on July 2, 1994, starring Denis Quilley and Julia McKenzie.
1995: Barcelona Cast Recording
Cast album sung in Catalan. This production was also broadcast on Spanish television.
2000: New York City Concert (Deluxe 2-CD Set)
Recorded and released. Nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album.
2001: San Francisco Concert (PBS/VHS/DVD)
Videotaped and broadcast on PBS. Released to VHS and DVD.
2005: Broadway Revival Cast Recording
Nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album. Note: “Wigmaker Sequence”, “The Letter”, “Parlor Songs”, “City on Fire”, and half of the final sequence were cut due to space limitations.
2012: London Revival Cast Recording
Released April 2, 2012, in the UK and April 10, 2012, in the United States.
2023: Broadway Revival Cast Recording
Released September 8, 2023, following the release of eight single tracks beginning May 8. Nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album.
Legacy and Impact
A Landmark of Musical Theatre
Sweeney Todd stands as one of Stephen Sondheim’s greatest achievements and a pinnacle of musical theatre artistry. Its sophisticated score, psychological depth, and unflinching exploration of obsession, revenge, and the human capacity for evil have made it a favorite of opera companies, regional theaters, and Broadway productions alike. From its shocking premise to its tragic conclusion, the show demonstrates that musical theatre can tackle the darkest subjects with intelligence, wit, and emotional power.
Over four decades since its premiere, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street continues to haunt audiences worldwide, proving that great art transcends genre and that the best revenge is a dish best served… in a pie.
Hold it to the skies!
Freely flows the blood of those
Who moralize!”
