Sweeney Todd

Sweeney Todd
Music by Stephen Sondheim. Book by Hugh Wheeler. Spotlight Theatre, Benowa, Gold Coast. Directed and Choreographed by Tess Burke Oct 24 – Nov 15, 2014

If you like your musicals bright, light and colourful, then Sweeney Todd is not for you. The curtain opens onto a dark foggy night in old London and you can feel the tone of the complex story covering everything from betrayal, lust, greed, and murder.

The title role was played brilliantly by Lionel Theunissen, with a large supporting cast: all with excellent singing voices under the baton of Matt Pearson. I could not find one weakness, quite a bonus in community theatre.

Russell Williams, Justin Coleman and Shelley Henderson designed a very clever movable set, which changed quickly and smoothly by the cast, from Mrs Lovett’s pie shop to the bakehouse, then Todd’s barber shop.

Ann McMahon as Mrs Lovett was a musical delight, bringing some light relief to the evening with some very witty lines singing about “waste not want not”, if you consider using Mr Todd’s victims in her meat pies funny...

With a strong cast, it is sometimes hard to single anyone out, but as Tobias, the lad befriended by Mrs Lovett, Josh Lovell brought something special to the role. Sweeney Todd is a brilliant, clever but harrowing musical, and not one for the feint hearted

Natalie Trengove

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