Sweeney Todd : The Demon Barber of Fleet Street -
Old Scotch Music and Drama Club
By Angie Bedford
The story of Sweeney Todd, the so-called "Demon
Barber of Fleet Street" first appeared in the gothic 19th Century Penny
Dreadful serials, and, for some, is an urban legend.
However, thanks to the eminent Stephen Sondheim, mention Sweeney Todd
and you are more likely to think of his 1979 musical
thriller.
These days, controversial and satirical musicals aren’t hard to come
by, and are achieving great success (think The Book of Mormon
and Avenue Q).
They surely owe it Sweeney Todd’s pioneering ability to present a
macabre tale through humour and a bit of opera!
Old Scotch Music and Drama Club (OSMaD) describe themselves as an
amateur theatre club, but this production is not amateurish. A
combination of great direction, design and performances deliver a
cohesive and thoroughly entertaining production.
The year is 1846, and Sweeney Todd / Benjamin Barker (Lee Threadgold)
has returned from serving a sentence in Australia, accompanied by a
young sailor, Anthony Hope (Adam Bianco).
Todd tells Hope of his hatred towards London. He then visits Mrs.
Lovett’s Pie Shop, where Nellie Lovett (Natasha Bassett) welcomes him
in.
She reveals to him that Benjamin Barker’s sentencing by Judge Turpin
(Phil Lambert) and his Beadle (David Schloeffel) was part of a plot to
rape Barker’s wife, Lucy, and that Turpin is now adopted father to
Joanna (Laura Slavin), Benjamin and Lucy’s daughter. Lovett realises
Todd’s true identity, and thus their plans for deadly revenge are set
in place.
Direction and staging by Chris Bratke is thoughtful, incorporating
elements of melodrama and thrillers. Irony and satire is peppered
throughout the show, and Bratke’s cast balance this well with the
darker themes.
We are asked to ‘Attend the Tale’ of Sweeney Todd, and as Sweeney
emerges from his coffin like a villain from the gothic horror age, I
know we’re in for a treat. Lee Threadgold excels in the role as both
tortured soul and torturer.
Natasha Bassett is ideally cast as Mrs. Lovett, revealing Lovett’s
maternal and romantic desires through a lust for money and success. The
two make a great team and carry the show with their energy and focus.
There are some strong vocal performances from David Schloeffel as
Beadle Bamford and Ed Harcourt as Pirelli. Adam Bianco, as young sailor
Anthony, is optimistic and a worthy love for Laura Slavin’s Joanna. All
of these performances were reminiscent of melodrama stock characters,
and provided comic and romantic relief.
Contrastingly, Phil Lambert’s performance as villain Judge Turpin was
far more naturalistic, with considerable focus on his sins as a rapist
and paedophile. ‘Johanna’ (Judge’s Song) was downright creepy and
unnerving.
Kudos to Lambert for tackling this challenging role with such
commitment. Tobias, Pirelli’s discarded servant, is a difficult role to
master, and Tim Phillips does an admirable job both vocally and
dramatically. Candice Sweetman is a standout as the Beggar Woman, with
wonderful vocals and excellent expressive skills.
The ensemble deliver fantastic performances. They were used to great
effect, whether simply moving sets on and off, or as carefully placed
observers to the main action. ‘The Letter’ and ‘God, That’s Good’ were
great moments. Tight vocals and wonderful climax are a credit to Ben
Hudson’s musical direction.
There’s nothing I love more than a collaborative production team. The
seamlessness of scene and set changes, as well as the overall visual
concept are a credit to the dedicated team.
Jeremy Bailey-Smith has outdone himself with the costume design; the
audience are treated to a smorgasbord of Poor Victorian fashion from
head to toe, at its best in the Beggar Woman’s torn layered and tiered
dress, topped off with a wide hat, chaotic hair and defined makeup.
Male costumes were particularly detailed.
Sound design was effective, although at times unbalanced or slow to
pick up solo lines. I think the oven sequence at the end could have
been improved by a taller oven accompanied by more dramatic sound and
lighting. Stelios Karagiannis’ lighting design is suitably murky, with
follow spots used frequently to ensure we don’t miss anything.
An industrial atmosphere is symbolised through an insignia featuring
cogs, which appeared on set pieces and was also embroidered into
numerous hats, skirts, vest and so on. Very thorough! Brenton Staples’
set is made of functional towers, dark and ominous. However, the
shakiness of the upper levels was at times distracting.
The set pieces were efficiently moved to create a number of different
settings. Sweeney Todd’s barber chair and chute were particularly
effective.
Well done to Steve Cavell and Katherine McDonald on the props. Mrs.
Lovett’s pie trolley and the abstract birdcages were particularly
wonderful.
The only thing lacking in this production is lots of blood; although
I’m sure it’s not missed by queasy audience members and those washing
the costumes. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is playing
at Geoffrey McComas Theatre, Scotch College until October 29.
Tickets: 1300 642 941 Online: www.oscanet.com.au
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