Skip to main content

Review of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street by R&D Youth Theatre at Royal & Derngate (Royal), Northampton

I like the story of Sweeney Todd, the particularly morbid, horrific tale appeals to me (need counselling), and Stephen Sondheim's musical version is a particularly clever and fun (yes fun as we slit them throats) version of the tale.

This particular version was performed by the talented bunch of youngsters that makes up the Royal & Derngate Youth Theatre under the guidance of director Christopher Gorry, whose work I had seen previously in Honk Jnr a few weeks before. Once again he had crafted magic from these skilled young performers.

The ensemble welcomed us to the show with a stirring (and loud) rendition of The Ballad Of Sweeney Todd, after which Sweeney made his appearance in the guise of Brett Mason. From the outset Mason captured the character with aplomb and portrayed the tortured soul of both the loss of his wife and his freedom through to his demonic collapse. Also introduced with the song No Place Like London was Michael Ryan as Anthony. Ryan for me was one of the stronger voices in the play and was affecting in his portrayal of the love struck character. The third character was the rather Beggar Woman, a fruity performance from Bethaney Coulson. Delivering some of her saucy lines ("Then how would ya like to split me muff?") with glorious relish.

The Worst Pies In London then introduced us to the undoubted star of the show for me. Amara Browning's Mrs Lovett was just simply superb. Oozing confidence on stage and a simply hilarious performance she stole every scene she appeared in and I genuinely awaited her return whenever she wasn't on stage. I honestly rarely gush quite so much, but if young Miss Browning isn't a star of the future, I shall eat Pirelli's hat.

Of the other cast members, well worth a mention was Ryan McLean as The Beadle, a very strong singing performance with the rendition of Sweet Polly Plunkett a highlight of the show.

Under the guidance of musical director Fergal O'Mahony the orchestra was also magnificent and sitting in the second row, I not only heard them well, I could clearly see the effort going into the performance. Special mention here has to go to Joley Cragg on percussion who confidently coped with playing multiple instruments and dealing with having to move her music from stand to stand!

Finally I must mention the blood. I wanted more! However the slitting of the throats got a deserved gasp from the people around me, particularly the first one and the demise of the final gentlemen.

Overall the whole production was a delight, from the clever set, the superb musicians and a superb cast. It was also a delight to sit in a sold out Royal for a so called "smaller" show. I hope to be able to get a late ticket for tonight's performance to watch this super show again.

Performance viewed: Friday 11th July 2014 at the Royal & Derngate (Royal), Northampton.

Details at http://www.royalandderngate.co.uk/whatson/2014-2015/Royal/SweeneyTodd

Popular posts from this blog

Review of Murder She Didn't Write at Royal & Derngate (Royal), Northampton

Murder She Didn't Write , stopping off for a four-day run at Royal & Derngate on a lengthy UK tour, treads the now well-worn path of an improvisational evening of theatre entertainment. Unsurprisingly, from the title, this show from Degrees of Error's takes a murder mystery as its inspiration, with the story influenced by ideas from the audience each evening. Due to this, Murder She Didn't Write and a review are very much an individual affair. What I saw in my evening at the theatre will differ significantly from what the audience will see the following evening; however, the fine performers will remain. The touring cast, in no particular order, is Lizzy Skrzypiec, Rachael Procter-Lane, Peter Baker, Caitlin Campbell, Stephen Clements, Douglas Walker, Harry Allmark, Rosalind Beeson, Sylvia Bishop, Emily Brady, Alice Lamb, Sara Garrard, Peta Maurice and Matthew Whittle. For my performance, Skrzypiec, Procter-Lane, Baker, Walker, Bishop, and Clements were on stage alongsid...

Review of Bat Out Of Hell - The Musical at Milton Keynes Theatre

Bat Out of Hell - The Musical was first realised as a stage musical back in 2017, opening at the Manchester Opera House. Since then, it has achieved significant international success. Now, as part of a new UK tour, it has returned to Milton Keynes Theatre, which it previously visited in 2022 during its global tour. The storyline of Bat Out of Hell , written by Jim Steinman, draws on the story of Peter Pan as a basis and evolves it within a dystopian world, where a group of teenagers known as The Lost live forever at the age of 18. This plot is both flimsy and initially confusing; however, within the music of Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman, it finds a rough-around-the-edges polish that allows this weakness to shine through and succeed. At the centre of this group of teenagers is Strat, who, following an unexpected encounter, falls under the spell of Raven. Within this, a megalomaniac lurks, as all dystopian worlds require. This maniac is Falco, the father of Raven and Sloane's husband....

Review of The Blue Road by R&D Young Company at Royal & Derngate (Royal), Northampton

I have a 100% strike record with the wonderful Youth Theatre group at Royal & Derngate, they have never let me down with a show and sometimes with those of Sweeney Todd and Kontact , have provided me with some of the very optimum theatre points of each year. The Blue Road, their very latest production for me is slightly less successful. However, it thankfully and perhaps not surprisingly, is nothing to do with the constantly talented bunch of actors that gather in this group. My problem lies in two places, of play selection and the way it is told. The Blue Road chronicles the story of a group of young people on the backend of a not totally described crisis, and this, unfortunately, is where we were more or less just two years ago with the Young Company and their show Immune . I have always been interested in these post apocalyptic stories and often love them, however for the same group to do two so close together feels a shame. They challenge certainly, but I am sure there ar...