Chronicle Spring 2022

22 ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE

Sweeney Todd A review by Gabriele Damiani, School Organist

The score presents challenges on both technical and musical levels. The composer’s writing is pure genius, highlighting each character’s personality with subtle musical clues and leitmotifs. Unlike many musicals where spoken dialogue features prominently, most of Sweeney Todd is sung. Enigmatically, the main songs are intensely demanding to sing and, at the same time, not particularly catchy for audiences to remember. Sondheim’s love for the counterpoint of JS Bach is particularly evident in this work, where several melodic lines combine to shape some of the ensemble numbers, creating complex polyphonic textures that are both exhilarating and mesmerising. Learning the parts of characters like Sweeney or Mrs Lovett is not just about memorising hundreds of notes and lines: you have to study the dramatis personae, enter their

More impressively, the talented young performers were able to prepare the fiendishly difficult and nearly-three-hour show in just nine weeks. The intense hours of rehearsals – relying on the devotion of Katrina Eden, Alex Tester, Lara Paul, Lisa Elkins, Annabel Sargent and the whole company really paid off. All this work produced a show of exceptional quality and cohesion, delivering a powerful story of murder, lust, revenge, and obsession. In a coincidence which seemed fittingly macabre, we were all saddened to hear of the news of Sondheim’s own death halfway through the run, which made the last two performances all the more intense, poignant and memorable. We dedicated these last performances to Sondheim and it was truly moving to see the genuine tears of sadness on the young actors’ faces – a testament to his great work and message.

For those who were fortunate enough to secure a ticket for this sold-out production at The North Wall this was certainly a night to remember. Stephen Sondheim’s masterpiece Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is nothing short of a colossal undertaking for any theatre company, let alone a school cast. Yet, once again, we were able to experience Teddies’ excellence at its very best.

Photo: Jonathan Eden

Caption Charlie Scales as Benjamin Barker with Flossie Butler-Adams as Mrs Lovett