What a way to spend Halloween night – attending a production
dripped in revenge and obsession where a “demon barber” slits the throat of
unsuspecting customers who end up being the filler for meat pies! Of course,
this gruesome tale is blessed by the sublime music and lyrical dexterity of
Stephen Sondheim with a dark-hued book by Hugh Wheeler.
My first impressions as I wandered into the venue were,
“what a spectacular theatre!” quickly followed by “what a cast!” as I looked
through the programme. Indeed, St. Hilda’s Joy Shepherd Performing Arts
Centre is a wonderfully appointed 940 seat theatre with all the mod cons –
large performance space, orchestra pit, immaculate seating, all the high-tech gadgets,
and beautiful lobby and facilities. It was impressive in every way.
As is the cast director Craig Griffen has assembled. I was
immediately encouraged on seeing Ian Cross’s name - the standout in a recent
production of Oklahoma! - in the lead
role. His Jud from that musical was also a dark, tormented character whom he
played with great intensity and menace. He excels here with another tightly
coiled turn as the eponymous character showcasing a powerful voice and bringing
a fierce energy and gruffness to the role. This is occasionally leavened by a
softer approach in regard to Todd’s daughter, Johanna (Madeline Crofts), and a
vein of jet black humour with his landlady and partner in crime, Mrs. Lovett
(Elethea Sartorelli).
Sartorelli, who won a Finley Award last year for a
supporting role in the musical Xanadu, is the perfect foil to Cross. Her Mrs. Lovett
is cheekily amoral yet caring when it comes to young Tobias (Pete Martis). She
sings beautifully, Cockney accent and all, and brings so much black humour to
proceedings. Cross and Sartorelli work well together, the first act closer, A Little Priest, a highlight as they
gleefully cavort while singing the gloriously mischievous song replete with
trademark Sondheim wit and wordplay.
Michael MacCuish, who was good in a non-singing role in Spring Awakening, reveals a tremendous
voice as Anthony, the sweetness of which works well in counterpoint to Cross. I
enjoyed the sincerity he gives the love-struck sailor, another contrast to all the
duplicity swirling around the character. Crofts displays yet another standout
voice with Green Finch and Linnet Bird an
early highlight as she stands perched upon a step ladder like a beautiful, fragile
bird herself. Again, another pairing that works well with Kiss Me a memorable moment that is reprised in snippets throughout.
Martis plays Tobias with suitable naivety until the
character stumbles upon the truth leading to an escalation of events. His Not While I’m Around with Sartorelli is
quite effecting as the bleak subtext of the moment cuts right through the
sweetness of the ballad. This is where Sondheim’s genius lies – another gorgeous
song, Johanna, is sung so earnestly
while Sweeney is dispatching men with his razor. The jarring contrast of lyrics
and music with the brutal actions onstage makes such sequences layered and compelling.
It’s fair to say every character is well cast with singing
ability at the forefront. Kimberley Harris makes for an ultimately tragic
Beggar Woman who gives some cackling cheek as she intersects with various
characters along the journey. Another strong voice, her warning cries in song
become increasingly desperate as events spiral out of control.
Cal Silberstein
is carving out quite a niche with memorable, comic inspired characters. Here it
is with Adolfo Pirelli whom Todd bests in a shaving competition and ultimately
condemns to the meat grinder of the bakehouse. There’s a mischievous attitude
about Silberstein’s performances that make them stand out no matter how brief.
Rounding out the principal cast is Simon Brett who gives
Judge Turpin a creepy, obsessive air of his own and has a showpiece moment of
self-flagellation in Johanna: Mea Culpa;
Daniel Kirkby as Beadle Bamford who joins in the fun with Parlor Songs on the “partly singed harmonium”; while Thomas Owen is
briefly featured as a doctor in the asylum where Judge Turpin hides his beloved
Johanna whom he intends to marry despite her being considerably younger and his
ward. There really are some disturbing aspects to this story beyond the murders!
The Ensemble is also in very fine voice as they reprise The Ballad of Sweeney Todd throughout
and act as silent witnesses to events or incidental characters such as the
asylum inmates. They are: Stee Andrews, Rebecca Cole, Jordan Dunne, Olivia
Everett, Jackson Griggs, Crystal Haig, Niamh Nichols, Emily Semple, Shannon
Whyte, Sam Widenbar, and Lauren Kingham.
Then there is the nine piece orchestra under conductor
Joshua James Webb who play the challenging and exceptional score extremely
well. From the opening Organ Prelude they
are in fine form and the sound balance is spot on between performers and
musicians. Indeed the sound design is excellent for such a large venue. I
overheard Webb’s mentor talking to the director after the show and he was
effusive in his praise of the musical quality. There is no doubt this is a
superbly sung and played production. Well done Simone Bishop, Ben Hogan, Tadgh
Pedder, Krista Low, Andrea Sitas, Blake Howieson, Laura Halligan, Tahlia Denn,
and Ben Albert.
To the staging and the set is quite sparse with a lot of use
of smoke and haze effects. This gives great atmosphere with the lighting often
used to cast the performers in partial shadow to add to the eerie tone. I did
have some quibbles – the use of scene locations – for example ‘Mrs. Lovett’s
Pie Shop’ or ‘Sweeney Todd’s Tonsorial Parlor’ on large white sheets that
descended into place tended to undercut the unsettling tone as they felt too
obvious. This was also the case with the ‘19th Century London’ that
unfurled at the start of the show to some mirth. These struck me as redundant
as the spaces were clearly delineated by the props and the performances
themselves.
It also felt a curious choice when the impressive lighting
array was lowered to just above head height at the start of the show for one of
the ensemble to literally ‘plug things in’ after which it would rise and
descend for various scenes. This was a little distracting as if too eager to
show off the technology but after a while settled down to a more traditional
configuration.
In all, this is a fine production of a tremendous piece of
musical theatre. I understand months of preparation and rehearsal have gone
into making this show a reality and it shows. Congratulations to all involved
on taking a risk with such a huge undertaking for independent theatre and
pulling it off.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is directed
by Craig Griffen with Musical Direction by Joshua James Webb from a Book by
Hugh Wheeler; Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and is on at the Joy
Shepherd Performing Arts Centre in Mosman Park next Friday and Saturday the 6-7th November.
After it was pointed out that there was an omission in the programme, I have added Lauren Kingham to the list of names in the excellent ensemble.
ReplyDeleteEvents Catering: The Key to Unforgettable Celebrations
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to hosting a truly memorable event, the catering is often the make-or-break factor. Whether you're planning a lavish wedding, a corporate gala, or a intimate family gathering, the food and drink can make all the difference in creating an unforgettable experience for your guests.