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Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street 22nd to 24th May 2003 The Gordon Craig Theatre Stevenage Music & Lyrics by STEPHEN SONDHEIM Book by HUGH WHEELER From an adaptation by CHRISTOPHER BOND Originally directed by HAROLD PRINCE Originally produced on Broadway by Richard Barr, Charles Woodward, Robert Fryer, Mary Lea Johnson, Martin Richards in association with Dean & Judy Manos This Amateur production is given by permission of JOSEF WEINBERGER on behalf of THEATRE INTERNATIONAL OF NEW YORK

The Stevenage Lytton Players Spring 2003 Musical Production Sweeney Todd  was performed at the town's Gordon Craig Theatre.  An amateur first for the area, and was a huge success.

THE STORY

The rare instance of a musical thriller, Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s chilling, suspenseful, heart-pounding masterpiece of murderous 'barber-ism' and culinary crime tells the infamous tale of the unjustly exiled barber who returns to 19th century London seeking revenge against the lecherous judge who framed him and ravaged his young wife.  His thirst for blood soon expands to include his unfortunate customers, and the resourceful proprietress of the pie shop downstairs soon has the people of London lining up in droves with her mysterious new meat pie recipe!

Sophisticated, macabre, visceral and uncompromising, “Sweeney Todd” nevertheless has a great sense of fun, mixing intense drama with howlingly funny moments of dark humour with audiences finding themselves laughing hysterically one moment and gasping in surprise the next.

At the show’s core is a challenging score of epic proportion with two tasty tour de force roles in Sweeney and his comic female accomplice Mrs. Lovett.  The show has been extremely popular with opera companies and in concert presentation.

For a full synopsis click here.