Sweeney Todd Forum

Mrs Lovett Visits Fields of Anlaby

Take an armful of meat pies, a well-known story, add a fabulous score and you have all the ingredients for one of “the greatest musicals of the 20th century”.  Preparations for Hessle Theatre Company’s new production of Sweeney Todd are well underway. “With the production taking shape, many of our performers have been keen to research their characters, no-one more so than Mrs Lovett herself, played by Katherine Fitzgerald, who has been seeking professional advice from Hull’s only Q Guild butcher Brian Fields of Fields of Anlaby”, says director Martin Beaumont. Brian has won numerous awards for his products and in particular for his pies, so who better to ask, although Katherine says, “ I have it on good authority that the selection of fillings at Fields of Anlaby are much more appetising than those on offer at Mrs Lovett’s Fleet Street shop!”.
Brian Fields established Fields of Anlaby in 1994, and since then has become a well known purveyor of meats and pies, along with a successful delicatessen. In this time Brian has accumulated a number of awards including Gold Awards for his pies in the National Pie Championships, and has just won the prize for the Best Butcher Shop in the Midlands and the East Coast of England for 2008. Brian doesn’t feel that he has any competition from Mrs Lovett after the training session though, Brian says, “With my training and a few secret tips, at least the pastry for her pies will be first class, but I don’t want to take any credit for what Mrs Lovett chooses to put in them!”
The support of local business man Brian Fields is more than welcome as Hessle Theatre Company continues to prepare for what is probably their biggest challenge since staging Titanic – The Musical in 2006, and follows their successful production of Barnum in March of this year. Sweeney Todd has been heralded as “a masterpiece of musical theatre” and is probably the most well known of Stephen Sondheim’s productions, currently enjoying renewed publicity following the recent release of the Oscar winning Tim Burton film starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham-Carter. Sweeney Todd has been considered to be a masterpiece in musical theatre and is filled with soaring melodies set off by hilarious dark humour and thrilling suspense in turns.
Katherine Fitzgerald, a legal secretary, turns her back on her day job to take on the wickedly immoral character of Mrs Nellie Lovett, who forms a friendship with Sweeney Todd and suggests making use of the bodies of Sweeney’s victims in her pie shop. Think of it as thrift. So some tips from an award winning pie maker who is dedicated to quality may come in handy to disguise the taste of Victorian London folk.
Fields of Anlaby are currently taking orders for Christmas on 01482 657497, or at their shop on Hull Road in Anlaby.
Sweeney Todd will be showing at Hull New Theatre from Tuesday 3rd to Saturday 7th March 2009, with tickets already on sale starting from only £10.00. Please book early to ensure you catch the opportunity to see Sweeney Todd live on stage for the first time since the film release. Tickets are available from the Hull City Box Office on 01482 226655.