Grange Park Opera

Sir Bryn Terfel in one of his towering signature roles

Sondheim’s Demon Barber of Fleet Street is grand guignol of Victorian London. It is now nearly 50 years old, but still fresh as paint. Black paint!

With characteristic brilliance Sondheim creates a unique middle ground between opera and Broadway.

Director David Alden gave us a memorable Otello. What will he do with Mrs Lovett’s meat pies?

A very funny, very dark masterpiece.

Synopsis

Synopsis

Act 1

A sailor Anthony Hope owes his life to Sweeney Todd who rescued him at sea. They arrive together in the port of London and Todd reveals a little of his past life in the great city. He had been a barber but all that is behind him.

Todd visits Mrs Lovett’s pie shop in Fleet Street. She works out that Todd is none other than the barber Benjamin Barker who was transported overseas. Todd is horrified to be told that his wife, Lucy, is dead and their daughter, Johanna, is a ward of Judge Turpin, the very man responsible for Todd’s conviction.

Todd vows revenge. Mrs Lovett has kept his old razors; he must return to his old trade.

Anthony meets and falls in love with Johanna and they plan to elope.

A flamboyant Italian, Adolfo Pirelli, challenges Todd to a shaving contest. Pirelli, in former times, had been Todd’s assistant and tries to blackmail Todd. Todd kills him.

Judge Turpin visits the barbershop and Todd is about to kill him when he is interrupted.

In a furious rage, Todd vows revenge on all his customers. And Mrs Lovett has a brainwave: the victims’ bodies can become the filling for her pies.

Act 2

With young Tobias helping serve the pie shop customers business is booming. The pies are tasty.

Johanna has been hidden in a private lunatic asylum; Anthony and Todd plot to rescue her.

Beadle Bamford comes for a shave, Todd murders him.

Joanna has been rescued by Anthony and they meet a mad beggar woman. She seems to recognize Todd. Judge Turpin is approaching and Todd, in a panic, kills the beggar woman.

Todd reveals his true identity to Turpin and and cuts his throat.

In the bakehouse, Mrs Lovett is burning the body of the beggar woman; Todd recognises the corpse as his wife, Lucy. Todd is devastated and kills Mrs Lovett.

The young Tobias has a deep affection for Mrs Lovett and is driven to madness.

Cast & Creatives

SWEENEY TODD, a barber ∙ BRYN TERFEL
MRS LOVETT, a pie shop owner ∙ CHRISTINE RICE
ANTHONY HOPE, a young sailor ∙ SAMUEL DALE JOHNSON
JUDGE TURPIN, a corrupt judge ∙ GRAEME BROADBENT
BEADLE BAMFORD, his servant ∙ JEFFREY LLOYD ROBERTS
ADOLFO PIRELLI, a rival barber ∙ WYNNE EVANS

CONDUCTOR ∙ GIANLUCA MARCIANO
DIRECTOR ∙ DAVID ALDEN
SET DESIGNER ∙ GIDEON DAVEY
COSTUME DESIGNER ∙ GABRIELLE DALTON
MOVEMENT DIRECTOR∙ LYNNE HOCKNEY
LIGHTING DESIGNER ∙ TIM MITCHELL