Sweeney Todd at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre
★★★★★
I was recently invited to attend the tale of Sweeney Todd at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. This has been a highly anticipated show for me, and it certainly did not disappoint. The Birmingham Repertory Theatre have yet again provided the UK premiere of a wonderful new production; I was fortunate to be invited to see Sherlock Holmes and the 12 Days of Christmas, which also premiered at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre.
*POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD*
Content Warnings:
The theatre had warnings on display which stated that the production contained:
Blood on stage
Sexual and rape references
Gyrating
Brief animal cruelty
Gunshot on stage
Sexual innuendos
Mild strong language
Suicide references
Haze
Flashing lights
I felt that there were other warnings worth mentioning, which were as follows:
The show is very loud throughout
Violence
Murder by means of razor and gun
References to and suggestions of cannibalism
Negative depictions of mental health/asylums
Suggestions of guardian/child relationship (the Judge who “adopted” Joanna expresses a desire to marry her and frequently refers to her in a sexual manner)
Implied imprisonment and kidnapping regarding the Judge and Joanna
Suggestions of abuse and coercion between Sweeney Todd and Mrs Lovett
My Review:
The Birmingham Repertory Theatre proves yet again why it is one to always watch when looking at the landscape of new theatre in the UK. Sweeney Todd was a brilliant production that I hope has a transfer somewhere in its near future, as it absolutely needs to be seen by as many people as possible.
The cast is led by Ramin Karimloo as the title character, Sweeney Todd. He was truly captivating from start to finish and embodied the character scarily well. His ability to remain a calm exterior whilst presenting Sweeney’s descent into madness absolutely enthralled me, and I was able to feel uncomfortable as an audience member due to how strong his personification of this role was. Ramin Karimloo also demonstrated an exceptional range, and his already known vocal talent was highlighted throughout by the score. He was deliciously dark and completely embodied the role, which furthered the impact of the show on me. Throughout the show, he commanded the stage and the audience's attention, which for me is necessary when playing the role of Sweeney Todd, as the characterisation alone seems to be very demanding on a performer, and Ramin Karimloo was not only clearly up to the task of bringing this character to life but surpassed all of my expectations. By commanding the stage and audience, Ramin Karimloo was able to involve the audience in the story more, thus making the actions of all the performers all the more powerful. Epiphany has always been a favourite song of mine from this score, and his rendition was brilliant, showcasing Sweeney’s reasoning behind his actions and his own voice, which, as I said before, is a joy to listen to.
A standout performer for me was Meow Meow, who was simply divine as Mrs Lovett. She completely brought the character to life, and her characterisation felt extremely well considered as well as being enjoyable to watch as an audience member. She was utterly hilarious during A Little Priest and based on her performance during this show, I cannot wait to see what she does next. Throughout, she blended the cunning and outlandish aspects of Mrs Lovett brilliantly, and from her first appearance during The Barber and His Wife I knew that she would be a standout performer for me. It was clear to me that she deeply understood the role, as personifying Mrs Lovett was at the heart of everything she did on stage, and I especially enjoyed the small inflexions in her singing to allow the voice and soul of Mrs Lovett to always be clear to the audience.
Another performer I had not heard of before but who was one to watch for me after seeing them in this production was Jack Gibson as Tobias Ragg. His ending of the tale of Sweeney Todd had me hooked, and I enjoyed watching his more visible descent into madness, which acted as a contrast to Ramin’s more subtle descent as Sweeney. I really enjoyed his interactions with both Ramin Karimloo and Meow Meow, especially his performance of Not While I’m Around, which showcased his vocal ability and also his characterisation through the way in which he and Meow Meow were able to play off each other. During this song, I felt Meow Meow also shone as she presented two sides to Mrs Lovett: the calm side she tried to present to Tobias to stop him realising anything more sinister was happening, and the stressed side which the audience saw as she realised the implications should Tobias find out the truth. The ending of this scene highlighted that Mrs Lovett was able to be as manipulative as Sweeney Todd, and for me it served as a turning point for her character, as during the scene my interpretation was that she would not put Tobias in harm's way no matter what, which ended up not being the case, and that’s all I’ll say on that.
David Bedella was unnervingly good as Judge Turpin; from start to finish, he managed to make the entire audience uncomfortable as he effectively captured that the Judge publicly presents himself as a better person than most but behind closed doors is actually as, if not more, horrible than those he judges. David Bedella’s vocals were lovely to listen to, and after having seen him previously in & Juliet, I really enjoyed getting to hear him sing a very different score, this time written by Stephen Sondheim.
Playing the loyal counterpart to the Judge was Julius D’Silva as Beadle. I originally thought the character of Beadle served as a more comedic role to oppose the overall darkness of the show, but I quickly realised that the Beadle, like many things in this show, was not who he seemed to be. Julius D’Silva showed himself to be a brilliant performer both alone and when performing with others. Before Ladies in Their Sensitivities, I was convinced Beadle was going to attempt to dissuade the Judge from pursuing Joanna, but through this song it became clear that the Beadle also saw no wrong in the Judge's plan or saw it and simply chose to ignore it. Like most cast members in this show, I had not heard of Julius D’Silva before, but I thoroughly enjoyed his performance and getting to hear his vocal ability during Ladies in Their Sensitivities.
Shem Omari James provided a source of light during the show as the lovestruck Anthony Hope. Throughout the show, the hope possessed by Anthony also acted as a source of hope for me amidst the overall darkness of the show. Anthony’s tale during the show is a tale of love rather than death, and this acts as a brilliant contrast whilst also providing the audience with moments of respite from the tale of Sweeney Todd. Shem Omari James had an understanding of his character which allowed him to almost seem naive to the things going on around him, such as him repeatedly going to Sweeney Todd for advice and help and being unaware of the ulterior motives that Sweeney Todd held, even when the audience could see these motives during their interactions. Not only did he understand his character in a way that allowed the audience to connect with Anthony, but he used his understanding to fuel his interactions with others, and the hope he felt was abundantly clear whenever Anthony laid eyes on Johanna. As has been said for all cast members, he had a wonderful voice, and it must be said that Abby Galvin did a brilliant job when casting this production.
Jo Stephenson was divine as Johanna, who for me served as almost an angelic representation in the show against a plethora of sinful characters, especially Sweeney Todd, who is repeatedly referred to as the Demon Barber. However, as the show continued, it showed me that good and evil are not black and white and people are shaped by the actions of themselves and those around them. Throughout the show, for me, Johanna served as a wonderful reminder of this, and I thought that Jo Stephenson did a brilliant job of bringing this to life, thus allowing for my interpretation of this character to grow and develop. Alongside her characteristic skills, she showcased a sublime voice both during solos and as part of ensemble moments. Jo Stephenson possesses an extremely impressive range that she highlighted throughout, and I especially enjoyed her performances of Green Finch and Linnet Bird and whilst performing with Shem Omari James during Kiss Me (Pt.1 and Pt. 2)
Florence Andrews blended comedy and desperation as the Beggar Woman. She was always able to make the audience laugh when she interacted with various other characters, especially Anthony. However, alongside this comedy, her role acts as a reminder to the audience of the heinous acts going on behind closed doors and each time she sung City on Fire not only did it showcase her voice but also instilled back into the audience a sense of foreboding and to me it suggested that perhaps the Beggar Woman all along could sense something was wrong and was perhaps sytarting to realise the cause of it all.
Silas Wyatt-Barke provided a source of wonderful comedic relief in his portrayal of Adolfo Pirelli. His portrayal of this role had me in stitches, and it was hilarious to see the ego he built during his initial introduction slowly crumble as his time on stage continued. As someone who was fairly new to Sweeney Todd, his reveal later on shocked me, and I felt that Silas Wyatt-Barke used this moment to show the more cunning and conniving side of Adolfo Pirelli brilliantly.
The ensemble was comprised of Emily Ivana Hawkins and Hadrian Delacey, who both acted as brilliant additions to the show’s company. Throughout the show, they provided both sensational vocals and continually provided the means by which the story could proceed through their interactions with the named characters. I also thought that the costume design for the ensemble costuming for all characters was extremely well designed, as it mimicked the decaying nature of the area by matching the set that served as the backdrop to the whole show. In general, the costumes all further contributed to the show and the yellow striped costume for Meow Meow as Mrs Lovett was a major highlight for me as it captured the eccentric nature of the character and contrasted the subtlety of the costume worn by Ramin Karimloo as Sweeney Todd.
The set and lighting design by Elin Steele and Rory Beaton, respectively, were a major highlight for me as it was simple enough that they did not draw attention from the show but instead increased the eerie atmosphere and allowed for some wonderful imagery throughout. One moment that will stay with me is when Sweeney raises his razor, and his shadow appears on the back walls on either side of the angel of justice, which to me strengthened the religious aspect of the show and the contrast of angels and devils made more obvious by the constant references to Sweeney Todd as the Demon Barber.
The only part of the production that I struggled with was sound, as it was very loud and points throughout lacked clarity, meaning I missed moments of sung dialogue. Should this show return, which I very much hope it will, I would be interested to see if the sound design and clarity may be improved, as it did act as a cause of struggle for me when trying to understand parts of the production.
Overall, the Birmingham Repertory Theatre production of Sweeney Todd is absolutely one to see and one to watch for a hopeful transfer in its future!
Thank you for taking the time to read and I hope this review has proved interesting and helpful for you :)
- AnxiousTheatregoer
