With dizzyingly tall dark wooden walls (that almost exactly match the unique walls of the Lyric itself) the set is simple yet macabre as Sweeney Todd opens at the Lyric Theatre with aplomb. Five figures appear unmoving on barber’s chairs below plastic wrap, and I genuinely almost jump a little when they burst through their plastic and suddenly start singing. Instantly I’m impressed, entertained and a little on edge; and the tone is set.

This co-production between Northern Ireland Opera and the Lyric Theatre brings Sondheim’s music and lyrics to life over 40 years since its inception, and the story is every bit as captivating as it was then thanks to the ensemble and main cast in equal measure. The singers are absolutely commanding from the very first second they open their mouths until the last note rings out across the audience almost three hours later. With great voices, fine acting and some interesting set pieces, it’s evidently clear that this is the way this musical thriller is supposed to be performed. 

Steven Page plays the moody, violent and somewhat charming Sweeney Todd perfectly, his booming voice and imposing figure play the part of demon barber nicely; whilst Julie Mullins plays Mrs Lovett with all the charisma, mischief and warmth of a proper Cockney shopkeeper. John Porter’s heartsick sailor character Anthony Hope and Jessica Hackett as the virtuous Johanna Barker provide a great juxtaposition to Richard Croxford as the corrupt yet bumbling Beadle Bamford and Mark O’Regan’s evil Judge Turpin too.

The real highlight for me however comes in the form of Matt Cavan’s performance as the irrepressible con-man Adolfo Pirelli and his Italian accent combined with his physical presence definitely extracts some well-timed laughs from the audience. Pirelli’s sidekick Tobias, played by Jack Wolfe also does a really great job of portraying a young, naive boy who isn’t necessarily as dumb as he looks.

Telling the familiarly old tale of the demon barber of Fleet Street with any sort of new spin or modernity is a tall order, but director Walter Sutcliffe, stage and costume designer Dorota Karolczak and lighting designer Wolgang Goebbel certainly rose to the challenge. Thanks to the quirky brown suits of the ensemble, the innovative and dynamic moving panels on the stage and the gloomy vibrancy of the costuming this is undoubtedly a modern take on a wicked old tale.

As a side note, Chris had a wild theory about the performance that I hadn’t even considered. Please enjoy the Twitter thread below:

Sweeney Todd plays at the Lyric Theatre until 23rd February, to find out more information or to book tickets click here. 

Laura Caldwell

Author: Laura Caldwell

Hi, I'm Laura. I'm 30 years old and have a degree in Journalism with Photo-Imaging at the University of Ulster. I have an undying love for Belfast and all that it has to offer, an undying love for sleeping, Tegan and Sara, trashy tv shows, foreign snack-foods and being irresponsible with money. I also quite like origami, reading, jazz, hip-hop, dubstep, anything acoustic and Food Network TV. I've written for The Big List, Culture NI, Chatterbox and The Echo, as well as writing for BBC Across the Line.