Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at Little Theatre, Leicester Review

DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW

Reviewed by Lindsay Burton

I was extremely excited to see Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at the Little Theatre in Leicester. Being another favourite musical of mine (having only ever watched the Johnny Depp film), I wanted to see how similar it was with regard to the musical numbers. And it delivered all my expectations and more – it was dark, dramatic and sometimes quite disturbing, but it also had plenty of funny moments and the songs were so well executed. Overall, it was a really entertaining evening and a production that I will remember.

Right from the beginning, you get a feeling that this isn’t going to be a happy story! Sweeney Todd returns to London wanting revenge on Judge Turpin, who has ruined his life and the life of his wife and daughter. The storyline is dark, but the show does a wonderful job of mixing the more serious parts with humour. This keeps the show from feeling too heavy and gives the audience plenty of chances to laugh as well as being drawn into the story.

Keiran Whelan-Newby, who played Sweeney Todd, really brought the character to life. You could see his anger and determination, but also how his need for revenge slowly takes control of his life. Alexandra Elliott as Mrs Lovett was fantastic too. She brought lots of energy and humour to the role and was a great contrast to Sweeney’s much darker character – also seemed to temper his rage from time to time. Some of her moments were genuinely very funny and gave the audience a chance to relax before the story became dark again.

The music was another big part of what made the production so enjoyable. Stephen Sondheim’s music is not easy to perform, with complex songs and some particularly challenging vocals, but the cast managed it really well. Sweeney Todd also includes some of my favourite musical theatre songs, and it was fantastic to hear them performed live. The whole cast worked really well together, and the ensemble helped create the feeling of being in Victorian London.

Dan Rowberry and Grace Bale made a lovely pair in Anthony Hope and Johanna – their vocals matched each other so well, so I thoroughly enjoyed the musical numbers Green Finch and Linnet Bird, Ah Miss and Johanna. Steve Elliott and Chris Hiam made a formidable pair in Judge Turpin and The Beadle – both their evil characters matched perfectly. Nicole Collins did a smashing job of the Beggar Woman – coming across as both oblivious to the world, yet her keen eyes spotting everything happening on Fleet Street. Big shout-out to Harry Woodward as Tobias Ragg – the only child in the cast, yet he held his own very well.

Overall, I thought Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at the Little Theatre in Leicester was a fantastic production. The cast were brilliant, the music was remarkable and the smaller theatre made the whole experience feel much more personal. It was dark, funny, dramatic and entertaining all at the same time. If you enjoy musical theatre and don’t mind something a little darker, I would definitely recommend giving this production a watch. Just maybe avoid thinking too much about what goes into Mrs Lovett’s pies! We rate this show as 4/5.

The show is running until the 19th September, ticket prices start from £20 and be purchased from here https://thelittletheatre.co.uk/whats-on/sweeney-todd/#book-online

Rating: 4/5