Book Reviews and More: Sweeney Todd - Penny & Pound Cambridge 2024

Friday, 22 November 2024

Sweeney Todd - Penny & Pound Cambridge 2024

Sweeney Todd

Cambridge 2024

Penny & Pound

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

Book by Hugh Wheeler

Based on the 1970 play by Christopher Bond

Directed By: Lori Robinson Distel and Duncan Graham

Choreographed By: Meghan Barker

Musical Direction By: Jack Wyndham

Sweeney Todd - Penny & Pound Cambridge 2024 Set

Sweeney Todd - Penny & Pound Cambridge 2024 Set Close-up

A few years ago my son, now 16 discovered a love for theatre. We have attended a number of plays at the Stratford Festival, and he has been very active with drama in school, school clubs and through the Drayton Youth Academy. Last spring after a coffee house at his school he was asked to try out for a play. It was this production of Sweeney Todd. And he made the cast in the ensemble. In preparation for the play we watched a couple of other productions on YouTube, and the 2007 Johnny Depp film production.

The summary of the play on the Penny & Pound site states:

“YOU ARE WHO YOU EAT

Attend the dark, witty and Tony Award-winning tale of love, murder and revenge set against the backdrop of 19th-century London.

Sweeney Todd, an unjustly exiled barber, returns to London, seeking vengeance against the lecherous judge who framed him and ravaged his young wife. The road to revenge leads Todd to Mrs. Lovett— the resourceful proprietress of a failing pie shop. Mrs. Lovett’s luck sharply shifts when Todd’s thirst for blood inspires the integration of an ingredient into her meat pies that has the people of London lining up… and the carnage has only just begun!

Join Penny & Pound Theatre Productions and Gaslight Events for a three-course-meal followed by an evening of gruesomely fun entertainment.”

Cast:

Kieron Higgs – Sweeney Todd

Piper J. Distel – Mrs. Lovett

Jonathan Hoytema – Anthony Hope

Simon Elliot – Tobias Ragg

Zoe Faulkner – Johanna

Jasmine Romany – Beggar Woman

Owen Bowron-Parsons – Judge Turpin

Patrick Silveria – Beadle Bamford

Joshua Perry-Fleming – Adolpho Pirelli

Sebastian Cudney – Jonas Foff

Melissa Ruegg – Clarimond

Ashiyana Mehan – Bathsheba

Cameron Samson – Lazarus

Shelby Goncalves – Isadora

Paige Siegel – Violetta

Hanna Peters – Lucretia

Dash Pearson – Cornelius

Hazel Bowron-Parsons – Hyacinth

Katie Babineau – Ambrosia

Matthew Braganca – Albion

Serena Buiani – Florence

Kaitlyn Ruegg – Ursuline

Jordan Graham – Ignatitus

Mads Banman – Semiramus

Owen Swift – Darious

Bethany Ellis – Margo

Jacob Kowalchyk – Mortimer

Kaleigh Wiens – Morgano

Liam P.T. McEvoy – Octavius

Jack Wyndham - Accompanist

I will be honest I was unsure what to expect when attending this performance. I had heard parts of a number of rehearsals. But rehearsals were cancelled last minute or time switched with just a few hours warning. So my confidence in the production company was not high. But I was greatly surprised.

The production was much better than I had expected. Especially knowing they only got into the venue the day of the first performance for a dress rehearsal. The cast did a wonderful job. The production was at the Tap Room in Cambridge at Tapestry Hall. The first two productions were dinner and a show, and the third night was just the show.

The production was well executed. The audience interactions, throughout the performance really added to the experience, even if I ended up being a squire placed on the fire. The action was solid, the accompanist was well done. I was very impressed with both Kieron Higgs as Sweeney Todd and Piper J. Distel as Mrs. Lovett.

I enjoyed this production even though a number of songs are ear worms, even now at the writing of this a few days after the production I keep finding myself humming the songs. I enjoyed this show and would be willing to give other from Penny & Pound a try.