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Sweeney Todd
Presented by: Opera
Australia
Venue: Sydney Opera House
Reviewer: Michelle Rogers
Date Reviewed:
1st March 2007
Catching the
final show of Sweeney Todd at the Sydney Opera House is a swish,
inviting affair: audiences enjoy sipping champagne prior to the
show, rather than the usual chips and coke consumed at less
sophisticated venues.
As someone who
has never been interested in opera, I would have to say that Sweeney
Todd could well be the perfect introduction to the genre. I
expected to see arrogant old ladies in fur stoles but instead found
an audience of many different age groups and styles. Many were more
senior, but they had left their monocles at home, it seemed. Having
secured what I considered the best seats in the house, some folk
probably expected me to wear some kind of dead animal, but then
again that’s probably just a stereotype gleaned from old movies.
Operatic
misconceptions aside, the story of the ‘Demon Barber of Fleet
Street’ is twisted and romantic, tragic and funny all at once.
Themes of heartbreak and insanity, obsession and vengeance permeate
through this story of cannibalism and meat pies – the fact that some
opera-goers turn their nose up at this show while musical-lovers
find it a little too confronting adds to the intrigue of this
penny-dreadful melodrama that doesn’t quite fit the mold.
Stephen Sondheim
added a new dimension to Sweeney Todd back in 1979 when he gave the
throat-slitting barber a history and reason to lose all reason.
There’s no denying that Sweeney Todd takes part in some dreadful
deeds, but you can’t help but feel empathy for the guy: how many
would stay sane after withstanding the agony of being taken away
from their young family to be shipped abroad as a convict on trumped
up charges?
The show begins
with the ensemble singing the menacing ‘narration’ to the story,
inviting you to ‘attend the tale of Sweeney Todd’. The costumes and
set immediately advise you that this is a professional show, with
some amazingly strong operatic voices. Warning: goosebumps may be
experienced with the eerie atmosphere on stage.
There were
certain songs and singers who could have benefited from slowing down
just a little, in order to more effectively convey emotions such as
longing and hopelessness. There were moments that deserved more
pause, more feeling. More time and patience.
Whacky Mrs Lovett
(Judi Connelli) pranced around in her red piggy-tails, making me
wonder if this was ‘Whatever Happened to Baby Jane’. The audience
adored Judi, although she did have a slight habit of breaking into
an Aussie accent at times. The show is thoroughly British, the story
essentially London, making this quirk somewhat unwelcome.
The song
‘Epiphany’ is the turning point where Sweeney Todd decides what his
fate will be, or rather what the fate of his customers at the barber
shop will be: it illustrates his spiral into insanity and
obsession. Just a shame that Peter Coleman-Wright did not seem as
angry as the song needed him to be, not quite as desperate or
homicidal.
However, in the
last song of Act One, ‘A Little Priest’, Connelli and Coleman-Wright
are obviously having a blast performing together. They thoroughly
relish delivering the darkly humorous lines in the song, eliciting
laughter from the audience at all the right moments. The sadistic
joy in coming to terms with their evil plans brings the pair to
life, with delightfully macabre results.
Another pair that
work wonders together are the pretty, idealistic Anthony Hope
(Alexander Lewis) and his beloved Johanna (Antoinette Halloran).
Their singing is breathtaking and chill-inducing as all of the high
notes are hit with impressive feeling and perfection. The harmonies
are divine as the two perform the reprise of ‘Kiss Me’.
Unfortunately the odious Judge Turpin (John Bolton Wood) and his
nasty sidekick, The Beadle, (Geoffrey Harris) tend to drown out the
young, innocent pair slightly as they stand below singing their
accompaniment to the sweet tune.
Johanna and
Anthony’s naivety and love for each other is an effective contrast
to the conniving schemes and selfishness of most of the other
characters in the show.
Judge Turpin’s
solo, another rendition of ‘Johanna’, is a disturbing piece, both
musically and visually, with the lighting of the innocent Johanna
standing above lending further intensity and discomfort to the
haunting number.
The biggest
player in this show, though, was Peter England’s set: the ingenuity
of the design was impressive, complete with revolving centre and
industrial-esque props, possessing the flexibility to suggest a
bakehouse, a street, an insane asylum and a parlour among other such
locations. The set’s movement and effectiveness allowed for smooth
changes in setting, plot and song, becoming a chameleon-like
character in itself. The barber chair and the bakehouse provided
wicked delights, and a few fun ‘ewww’ moments to boot.
The head of the
asylum, Jonas Fogg (Andrew Moran) cuts a grotesque figure, his
clownish makeup reminiscent of infamous serial killer John Wayne
Gacy. The actors playing the inmates of the asylum embrace their
insanity with intense energy, turning from poverty-stricken street
urchins to crazed folk with the desperate tearing of clothing and
frantic movement. The scene set in this depraved place is suitably
disturbing and brilliantly executed.
Street mountebank
Pirelli is an amusing, flamboyant character, perfectly suited to
actor Kanen Breen. Superb comic relief is found through Breen’s
timing and humorous reactions, making ‘The Contest’ a lot of fun to
witness.
Overall, the show
was unique and enjoyable, a wonderful ‘opera musical’ with a
vaudeville feel. I’m only disappointed that there was no related
merchandise for sale after the show, other than a programme: CD’s
and DVD’s had to be pre-ordered, as they are not available for
another twelve days! This being closing night, it was a bit of a
drawback.
As the ghost of
Sweeney Todd lingers around Fleet Street, may many more audiences
come to know and be astounded by the misadventures of the Demon
Barber.
Meat Pie,
anyone? |