Unlike Mrs Lovett’s pies, Victorian Opera and New Zealand Opera’s ‘Sweeney Todd’ is a rich, divine delicacy – totally wicked, thrilling and wonderful at every turn.
Stephen Sondheim’s music and lyrics are handled with the utmost respect and care by everyone involved here. The music is fantastic, with a full range of emotions behind it through the show as we watch Sweeney’s story of vengeance unfold. Notes of tragedy and heartbreak, silliness and (real) scariness fill ‘Sweeney Todd’, making it an exciting ride.
Ben Mingay’s Sweeney is fully realised and excellent to watch. He sneers and snarls, not unlike Beast from ‘Beauty And The Beast’ in his physicality – but there’s also that charming edge to him which, as the audience, you can’t help but fall for. His booming voice is mesmerising, packed with emotion, and fills the theatre.
Antoinette Halloran provides so much of the life of this show as Mrs Lovett. Her desperate attempts to woo Sweeney, beginning with their pie shop meet-cute (or rather, we-meet-again-cute), are hysterical. . . And she’s just an excellent source of comic relief – but she’s also just as fleshed out and interesting as Sweeney. The two together are a perfectly imperfect match, a mischievous coupling which just feels right.
Lachlann Lawton’s Anthony Hope is bright-eyed and bushy-tailed; his infatuation with Johanna (helped of course by the repeated ‘Johanna’ musical motif) is palpable, and the longing in his voice feels real. He’s another totally charming character, and while we don’t see as much of him as perhaps some others, his time on stage is used well.
The same can be said for Johanna, played here by Alessia Pintabona. She successfully conveys the complexity of a woman given very little freedom who longs for something more.
Image © Charlie Kinross
Adrian Tamburini’s Judge Turpin is adequately evil and a little bit disturbed. His presence on stage brings tension and he carries himself with all the importance he should. Karen Breen is show-stealing as The Beadle, who feels like a camp Disney villain in the best way possible – bizarre physicality, hilarious line delivery and a commanding stage presence.
Equally as hilarious and comedically on-point is Euan Fistrovic Doidge as Adolfo Pirelli. His faux Italian accent and fraudulent business venture are hallmarks to his characteristics, and each time he appears on stage you’re in for a total treat.
The innocent, naive nature of Mat Verevis as Tobias Ragg is all-encompassing in the role. From his beginnings working alongside Pirelli to helping out at Mrs Lovett’s pie shop, his line deliveries and youthful sprightliness are a joy to watch – as is his eventual realisation that all is not what is seems.
The entire ‘Sweeney Todd’ cast is a shining showcase of talents. . . All parties working together in perfect harmony to present a truly engaging, exciting and utterly delicious piece of theatre. Musical highlights are ‘The Worst Pies In London’, ‘These Are My Friends’, ‘Green Finch And Linnet Bird’ and ‘By The Sea’.
★★★★☆ 1/2.
