Sweeney Todd a gritty and terrifying production at Twickenham Theatre

Director Derek Anderson says “Our raw production of Sweeney Todd 

will see Sondheim’s gory masterpiece stripped back to a cast of nine and skeletal band. By staging the show in the intimate confines of the new Twickenham Theatre and by exploring Sondheim’s device of the Greek chorus; we can give the audience a up-close and very powerful performance”

 

 

SWEENEY TODD is the blood-curdling musical

thriller about a man driven to madness by injustice.

Laced with Stephen Sondheim’s characteristically

brilliant wit and dark humour, the razor sharp tale of

vengeance and true love features some of the finest

music ever written for the theatre.

This memorable and horrifyingly dark musical comedy

depicts the barber Benjamin Barker who,

after years of false imprisonment, reinvents himself

as Sweeney Todd and begins a savage quest to

avenge the wrongs done to him and his family.

Aided by pie shop owner Mrs. Lovett, he sets out to

bring justice not only to the judge who destroyed

his life, but to all the people of London.

This spine chilling new production, with an ensemble

cast, turns Sondheim’s Victorian masterpiece into a

claustrophobic-ally close experience that will thrill

and terrify.

Booking: http://www.twickenhamtheatre.com/

Review of Cats at Nottingham Royal Concert Hall

Wednesday 16th April 2014

Based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by TS Elliot and adapted by Andrew Lloyd Webber and originally produced by Cameron Mackintosh with the Really Useful Theatre Company, this production of Cats from David Ian Productions in association with Michael Watt electrifies the Nottingham Concert Hall stage!

The junk yard set is much wider and taller than the original London set and whilst there is no revolve and reveal in the opening act 'Jellicle Songs for Jellical Cats' the magnificent width of the Royal Concert Hall stage allows for more exuberant dance and staging of the Cats stories throughout. I actually preferred this setting to the tight space in the New London Theatre which had intimacy but some cramped discomfort in seating. So to the show itself;

This company have kept in all the popular cat characters, dynamic dances, drama, humour and music of the work so regular theatre goers and Cats lovers – including the excited group of ladies in cats ears behind me – plus people new to the musical, won't be disappointed. Though this time round on its eagerly awaited visit to Nottingham the sound scape is phenomenal and the live orchestra music has a slightly more rock feel in some numbers. Each of the members of the Cats ensemble shine in their own right and every word of the songs and speech throughout is crystal clear. The dance and movement throughout is ultra fluid whether flying through the air or slipping into place amongst the junk on the set. All of the tall junk filled walls of the set were used with great imagination and the lighting effects are breathtakingly atmospheric and beautiful.

 

 

In any production of Cats the success is down to ensemble slickness, dance and characterisation talents and the ability to sing to a very high standard whilst dancing and of course to the rendition of its most famous solo song – Memory. In this touring production we are lucky to have the superb talents of West End star Joanna Ampil playing the forlorn cat Grizabella and her rendition of Memory is utterly superb.

It is sometimes a complaint that some modern musicals have little in memorable tunes to hum as one leaves the theatre. Not with this revival. As I leave the theatre I am surrounded by audience members smiling like the cats who have got the cream and children singing and dancing out of the exit!

Runs at Nottingham Royal Concert Hall until Saturday 26th April.