The dark nights of November have always been the time for dark stories, and they don’t come much darker than Stephen Sondheim’s gothic masterpiece Sweeney Todd. Even the weather was playing along; as I trudged home through torrents of rain (without an umbrella), after DULOG’s opening night, it seemed as if Durham’s streets had become an extension of their set.
Directors Amanda Cross-Court and Lauren Williams crammed a lot of action onto the small stage of the Sir Thomas Allen Assembly Rooms, and the chorus scenes in particular created an atmosphere of febrile claustrophobia without the space looking over-crowded. Sweeney Todd’s notorious barber chair, with its trapdoor for dispatching his victims, was silhouetted effectively on an upper stage level, lit by red light and allowing Todd to commit his murders in a grisly and effective mime. They also made good use of the whole theatre, with characters appearing from the back and among the audience.
From his first appearance, Tom Carroll was a striking, brooding presence in the title role, with a powerful bass voice to match – his lower notes were thrilling. From his first exchange with the sailor Anthony, he showed his character’s volatility and complexities, leaving us never quite sure whether he is a good man who has been broken by cruelty or an iredeemably vicious psychopath. Connie Richardson as his partner in crime and pies, Mrs Lovett, was all demented energy, driving Todd onwards with her brutally efficient enterprises: ‘A little priest’ was one of the highlights of the evening and she showed glimpses of tenderness in her big moment ‘By the sea’ – although this scene would have been more effective if Carroll and Richardson had been allowed to have the stage to themselves, as the chorus’s dance distracted from the wistful calm of this moment.
Matilda Ketterer brought an edge of calculating ruthlessness to Johanna; her first number ‘Green finch and linnet bird’ initially beguiled us into thinking that she’s an innocent victim but by the end of the song, she was showing signs of a steely ruthlessness to do whatever it takes to escape. ‘Kiss me’ had a frantic desperation to it that made it clear that Anthony was just a means to an end and that Johanna is very much her father’s daughter. Opposite her Joe Butler-Smith was all sweet naivety as Anthony, one of the few decent characters in the show, and this was a touching performance. Similarly, Midun Odunaiya gave a heartfelt performance as the boy Tobias, his confusion and fear evident as he loses his innocence and his mind. Another broken innocent, The Beggar Woman was strongly sung by Elena Pesciarelli and at the other end of the scale, Michael Nevin was particularly chilling in his ‘Mea culpa’ scene.
Using a reduced score, the twelve-piece band conducted by Sammy Cormack-Repath were excellent throughout and were as effective as the set itself in creating the gothic atmosphere, particularly the beautiful clarinet solo that underscored both the menace and tragedy as Todd tells his story. Praise too to keyboard player Tom Paterson for the atmospheric opening organ solo and to both him and Bede Capstick for their effectie coordination in Beadle Bamford’s piano-playing. (As an aside, I liked the ironic touch of having a score of Messiah on the piano – or was it just Dunelm Consort getting a bit of product placement in for their upcoming performance?).
As with all the leads, the chorus all brought absolute commitment to their roles, with each person always clearly their own character, not a homogenous mass. However, as always with student productions, most of the chorus words were lost although the solos were all clear enough to convey the story. There was a tendency to shouting in the chorus and sometimes from the principles too: in such a small theatre, they probably didn’t need to be miked.
No spoilers, but as the show comes to its twisted and shocking end and the bodies pile up, the mayhem came to an abrupt halt which made the tragic tone of the final chorus all the more effective. The standing ovation that followed from a hugely appreciative audience was well deserved.
Main image: Tom Carroll as Sweeney Todd, photo Bee Wilkes
DULOG Sweeney Todd, reviewed at the Sir Thomas Allen Assembly Rooms on Tuesday 18 November.
Sweeney Todd runs to Saturday 22 November. Details and cast here.
