Revenge is a dish best served cold
Sweeney Todd
Stephen Sondheim
Sondheim’s hit musical is staged by Barrie Kosky as a ‘children’s theatre nightmare collage’, blending revulsion and comedy with a fascination for horror. He mercilessly digs into the question of what humans are capable of when they follow the logic of revenge to the bitter end.
The barber Benjamin Barker is unjustly sentenced to a long prison term by Judge Turpin, who has his eye on Barker’s wife. Years later, Barker returns with only one thing on his mind: revenge. His wife has supposedly killed herself, according to the burnt-out but business-savvy baker of meat pies, Mrs Lovett. And so Benjamin Barker, alias Sweeney Todd, launches not only a grisly campaign of revenge but also, with his accomplice Mrs Lovett, a thriving joint venture in the meat-pie business.
The barber Benjamin Barker is unjustly sentenced to a long prison term by Judge Turpin, who has his eye on Barker’s wife. Years later, Barker returns with only one thing on his mind: revenge. His wife has supposedly killed herself, according to the burnt-out but business-savvy baker of meat pies, Mrs Lovett. And so Benjamin Barker, alias Sweeney Todd, launches not only a grisly campaign of revenge but also, with his accomplice Mrs Lovett, a thriving joint venture in the meat-pie business.
Backstory
Benjamin Barker was once a carefree barber in London—married to the beautiful Lucy and proud father of little Johanna. But Judge Turpin also had his eye on Lucy. He had Barker falsely convicted and banished. During Barker’s exile, Turpin raped Lucy, who then poisoned herself. From then on, Johanna grew up under Turpin’s control.
Benjamin Barker was once a carefree barber in London—married to the beautiful Lucy and proud father of little Johanna. But Judge Turpin also had his eye on Lucy. He had Barker falsely convicted and banished. During Barker’s exile, Turpin raped Lucy, who then poisoned herself. From then on, Johanna grew up under Turpin’s control.
Act 1
Fifteen years have passed: Accompanied by the young sailor Anthony Hope, Benjamin Barker returns to London under the false name Sweeney Todd. At the harbor, they are approached by a pushy beggar woman whom they have trouble shaking off. Shortly thereafter, Sweeney and Anthony bid farewell to each other for the time being. Driven by a burning desire for revenge, Sweeney sets off in search of his former shop on Fleet Street. There he meets the baker Mrs. Lovett, whose business is on the verge of collapse— these are probably the worst pies in London! Mrs. Lovett tells Sweeney about the tragic story of Benjamin Barker and deduces his true identity from his reaction. At the same time, Anthony falls in love with Johanna, who is still under the control of the sexually abusive judge. Anthony devises a plan to free her.
At a bustling market in London, Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett meet the boy Tobias and his eccentric master Adolfo Pirelli, who wants to measure his skills against Sweeney’s in a barbering competition. Sweeney wins. But it is not long before Pirelli shows up at the door of his reopened barbershop and tries to blackmail his rival—a fatal mistake, as Sweeney kills Pirelli without further ado. Judge Turpin also pays Sweeney an unexpected visit, but when Anthony suddenly bursts in, his chance to seek retribution is lost. Completely beside himself, Sweeney turns his rage against all mankind and vows to slit the throats of all his customers. Mrs. Lovett reacts pragmatically and presents a macabre plan: why not make a business of it and turn the corpses into delicious meat pies?
Act 2
The meat pie business is booming, thanks to Sweeney’s constant supply of fresh meat. Mrs. Lovett dreams of a future together with Sweeney and Tobias, whom she has now taken in. Meanwhile, Johanna’s situation worsens dramatically: because she has refused to marry Judge Turpin, he unceremoniously locks her up in an asylum. But Anthony tracks Johanna down.
Together with Todd and Mrs. Lovett, he plans to rescue her. This presents Sweeney with a unique opportunity—with Johanna as a decoy, the judge could be persuaded to return to Sweeney’s salon. While Anthony manages to free Johanna, Tobias gradually gets to the bottom of Sweeney’s schemes. And the troublesome beggar woman also threatens to reveal Todd and Mrs. Lovett’s dark secret. Against all odds, Sweeney finally manages to hunt down the judge. However, he is too slow to recognize the fatal consequences of his lust for murder: for among the mountains of corpses lies a familiar face …
The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
A musical thriller [1979]
Music and lyrics by STEPHEN SONDHEIM
Book by HUGH WHEELER
Based on the play of the same name by CHRISTOPHER BOND
Director of original Broadway production HAROLD PRINCE
Orchestration by JONATHAN TUNICK
Originally produced on Broadway by Richard Barr, Charles Woodward, Robert Fryer, Mary Lea Johnson, and Martin Richards in association with Dean and Judy Manos
A musical thriller [1979]
Music and lyrics by STEPHEN SONDHEIM
Book by HUGH WHEELER
Based on the play of the same name by CHRISTOPHER BOND
Director of original Broadway production HAROLD PRINCE
Orchestration by JONATHAN TUNICK
Originally produced on Broadway by Richard Barr, Charles Woodward, Robert Fryer, Mary Lea Johnson, and Martin Richards in association with Dean and Judy Manos
Premiere on 17 November 2024
Coproduction with Opéra national du Rhin und Finnish National Opera and Ballet
Recommended from grade 9
English
2hr 55min, incl. intermission