Sweeney Todd
From Theatre Breaks
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Sweeney Todd - Musical by Sondheim
Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd with Michael Ball playing the Demon Barber of Fleet Street and Imelda Staunton as pie-making Mrs Lovett has been playing to packed houses and received rave reviews at Chichester Festival Theatre with Andrew Lloyd Webber commenting “this is the best Sweeney I have ever seen” according to Peter Polycarpou who plays he Beadle.
Sweeney Todd the Musical in London
Opening Dates
Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton are playing Sweeney Todd and Mrs Lovett in Sondheim’s musical Sweeney Todd which is due to start previews at the Adelphi Theatre on 10th March 2012 and open on the 20th March 2012.
The fabulous Chichester Festival Theatre production of Sweeney Todd starring Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton has now had a West End transfer confirmed. The show will open at the Adelphi Theatre on 10th March 2012 following the National Theatre’s One Man, Two Guvnors starring James Corden.
A West End transfer has been on the cards with Cameron Mackintosh rumoured to have been interested in being involved. The Million Dollar Quartet closing in January provided one possible suitable theatre vacant, but in the event it was the Adelphi Theatre which chosen to stage Sweeney Todd.
Stephen Sondheim himself went to Chichester in October to see Sweeney Todd starring Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton. He was accompanied by Sir Cameron Mackintosh and according to cast members he loved the production, so an endorsement by the writer seems likely.
Stephen Sondheim has seen the show and even delayed a return trip home to see the production a second time. According to Baz Bamigboye in the Daily he considers the Chichester Sweeney to be a landmark production and would like it, and its two stars, to go to New York.
The next strong rumour, which proved correct, was that Sweeney Todd would open at the Adelphi Theatre after the National Theatre production of One Man Two Guvnors starring James Corden (which opens on 8th November) ends its limited run on 25th February 2012.
The revived production of Sondheim’s musical comes to the Adelphi Theatre on 10th March 2012, taking over from One Man, Two Guvnors.
Michael Ball stars as Sweeney Todd, the ‘demon barber’ who seeks revenge on the prominent Judge Turpin for the loss of his wife and daughter, while Imelda Staunton co-stars as Todd’s pie-baking accomplice Mrs Lovett. They are joined by Lucy May Barker (Joanna), Peter Polycarpou (Beadle Bamford), John Bowe (Jude Turpin), Luke Brady (Anthony), Robert Burt (Pirelli), Gillian Kirkpatrick (Beggar Woman) and James McConville (Tobias).
Sweeney Todd at the Chichester Festival
Chichester Festival Theatre has released the full cast list for their production of Sweeney Todd which will star Michael Ball in the title role and Imelda Staunton as Mrs Lovett.
Sweeney Todd runs at Chichester from 24th September 2011 to 5th November 2011 with an anticipated West End transfer in 2012.
The full cast list is: MICHAEL BALL/Sweeney Todd: LUCY MAY BARKER/Johanna: JOHN BOWE/Judge Turpin: LUKE BRADY/Anthony: ROBERT BURT/Pirelli: GILLIAN KIRKPATRICK/Beggar Woman: JAMES McCONVILLE/Tobias: PETER POLYCARPOU/Beadle Bamford: IMELDA STAUNTON/Mrs Lovett and SIMEON TRUBY/Jonas Fogg.
They will be joined by: VALDA AVIKS, WILL BARRATT, JOSIE BENSON, EMILY BULL, JOHN COATES, DANIEL GRAHAMROBINE LANDI, BRIAN McCANN, TIM MORGAN, ADAM PEARCE, VINCENT PIRILLO, WENDY SOMERVILLE, ANTON STEPHANS, KERRY WASHINGTON and ANNABEL WILLIAMS.
Michael Ball talks about Sweeney Todd
"I first had the idea of doing it three years ago and mooted it, but what is exciting and unnerving is the speed with which it has come together I couldn't be more proud and thrilled. It's just been a joy to do from beginning to end. It’s the King Lear of musical theatre, which is why I wanted to do it.
On the back of Hairspray it has taken me to both ends of the extreme, having to change myself in every way. Hairspray gave me the courage to do this. The fact that I was able to immerse myself in that and be convincing was brilliant. It was a gag there that no one recognised me but here at Chichester we are genuinely getting complaints every day that I’m not appearing! I don’t think there can be a greater compliment for an actor.
I wanted to change myself physically and I went through a lot of different ideas. I thought of a shaven headed look at one time. I have dimples and curly hair, which is not your typical Sweeney Todd but I wanted to give him a sharpness and an edge. I grew a goatee beard and I wear a hairpiece so that he has straight hair which he can flick to hide his face. I’m a big guy and wanted Todd to move very quickly and suddenly but most of the time be totally contained and closed in. He’s simmering under the surface. He doesn’t show his emotions until he has his breakdown.
I’ve never sung better in my life. I have a high baritone voice but I’ve awakened this bass baritone and can flip into the higher one when I need to. This score requires the biggest vocal range I have ever had to use behind the scenes here.
Doing the show was my idea and I got it going. It happened three years ago on my BBC Radio 2 Sunday Brunch show. Imelda Staunton came on and in between records I asked her if she fancied playing Mrs Lovett and she said “All right then” but it has taken all of this time for us to get together. There was never anybody else considered or wanted.”
