SWEENEY TODD
Putting it Together Productions
Lovers of musical theatre enjoyed a rare treat with a single performance of Sondheim’s masterpiece ‘Sweeney Todd’ by the recently formed Putting it Together Productions. The company, founded by the conductor and leading singer in this performance, has the mission of producing such one-off performances to support local charities, in this instance the Peace Hospice and Missing People. The rarity value of this production was that the professional –standard performances were accompanied by a 31-piece band in Sondheim’s original orchestration.
The principals were supported by a superb chorus drawn from many Hertfordshire performing societies, many of whom have performed major roles, some of them even in previous productions of ‘Sweeney’. In this ‘semi-staged’ presentation the chorus sang with scores, concert version, and were seated behind the orchestra. From a seat towards the front of the stalls it was impossible to see them but one could certainly appreciate their sound – accurate and powerful – particularly in the recurring ‘Ballad of Sweeney Todd’, ‘More Hot Pies’ and the fiendish ‘City on Fire’.
The principals spoke, sang and acted their roles wearing a semblance of costume in the restricted space at the front of the stage alongside the conductor. Props had to be minimal of course – we had a chair, but not ‘the’ one which propels its throat-slit occupants down to the bakehouse, we had pastry but no pies and razors but no blood. Another more crucial absence was the ‘steam whistle’ which sounds at all the dramatic moments in the score, most blood-curdingly at each slit of the throat.
In the title role, Matthew Gregory portrayed every nuance of Sweeney’s complex character, using his superb baritone voice most effectively, particularly in ‘These are my Friends’ and ‘Pretty Women’. His rapport with the other characters, difficult to balance in a semi-staged presentation, was excellent.
Emma Southorn has appeared in many roles in recent years in
The strong supporting cast included Matt Fowler as a heart rending Tobias, singing so much more strongly than when he appeared for Cassio OS in the role, Trish Lewis as the Beggar Woman (another example of excellent diction) Russell Stratton as a flamboyant Pirelli displaying two superb ‘cod’ accents, Alison Langer and Mathew Collyer blending well as Johanna and Anthony, Andy Taylor as the venomous Judge Turpin (although I felt that his ‘Mea Culpa’ number made little sense in a concert performance) and the luxury casting of Simon Curtis as Beadle Bamford, reaching the impossible high notes of the final ensemble with powerful ease.
Although not a complete sell out, the Colisseum was comfortable filled with an appreciative audience who contributed a total of £3,000 for the two charities – a wonderful achievement indeed.
Performance rating – 5 stars
Dorothy Lawson
