by Stephen Sondheim
Irving Stage Company, Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds
15-19th April 2008

A musical about a gruesome murderer and  pies stuffed with human meat, doesn’t sound like a fun night out. Indeed, in the opening scene of Sweeney Todd, the cast of the Irving Stage Company stand in their black costumes, with grey faces and black rimmed eyes, staring menacingly out at the audience, and you wonder what you are in for…. 

Overcoming early sound system problems, the story of the demon barber (played by Mark Jenner) returning with his sailor friend (Duncan Leech) to seek revenge over the corrupt and creepy Judge (John Meers) and his Beadle, (Neil Murfitt) unfolds. How Sweeney Todd collaborates with his landlady, the pie maker Mrs Lovett, (Sian Notley) keeps the audience on the edge of their seats and just as you think the plot can’t become any darker or more intense, the wonderful Mrs Lovett with superb comic timing and a voice that effortlessly flows, relieves the tension and makes us laugh. Even the spurting blood as the barber’s customers had their throats cut and are tipped down the chute to the bake-house below, allowed the audience a welcome giggle.

Stephen Sondheim’s music will always be a challenge to sing but all the principals in this production have good voices and, with the supporting cast, excellent costumes, the swirling smoke on the multi-levelled minimalist set, and very controlled direction  (even at the curtain call the cast stayed in character and didn’t crack a smile), this was a performance to remember.

Congratulations too to the orchestra, led by Mark Jefferson, and to the younger principals with fine singing voices and commanding stage presence, Mark Kerr (playing Tobias Ragg) and Charlotte Couture (Johanna).

My favourite songs? Green Finch and Linnet Bird (Johanna), God, That’s Good (the cast) and the wonderful A Little Priest (Sweeny and Mrs Lovett).

Oh yes…. I loved every moment of Mrs Lovett.