The legend of Sweeney

Expect the unexpected in this riotous and gleeful version of Sondheim’s all-singing, all-slashing musical classic, Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

With a brilliant cast drawn from the Conservatorium to the Science Faculty via the Faculty of the VCA and Music this Sweeney will be as idiosyncratic and off-off-off-Broadway as you can get. The Union Theatre will be transformed, with the band and the singers not confined to the stage and audiences frequently in the thick of the action. That traditional audience warning of “He’s behind you!” will gain a whole new meaning as Sweeney stalks the stalls!

The legend of Sweeney Todd, a London barber whose clients wound up in his neighbour’s meat pies has its origins in the ‘penny dreadful’ novels of the Victorian era. Sondheim’s version opened on Broadway in March 1979. The production won eight Tony Awards and since then Sweeney Todd has seen many revivals around the world. The musical’s combination of theatricality and its Grand Guignol delight in horror and madness have a particular appeal that keeps on attracting new generations of performers and directors.

The play is directed by Tom Gutteridge, who has more than 20 years’ experience in the performing arts as a director, actor, dramaturg, composer, musician, devisor and teacher. As Artistic Director of Black Swan Theatre Company, Perth from 2004 to 2008, he directed works including the World Premieres of Jandamarra and an award winning production of The Crucible. He is currently Artistic Director of Union House Theatre at the University of Melbourne.

Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Time and dates: 10–11 and 15–18 September at 7.30pm Matinee Friday 17 September at 11.30am
Location: Union Theatre, ground floor, Union House, Melbourne University
Tickets: Full $25/Conc $20/Student Union Members $10
Bookings: union.unimelb.edu.au/sweeneytodd
http://union.unimelb.edu.au/theatre