Birmingham Rep brings a giant musical theatre show to the stage this summer, with a home-grown production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. With its roots in ghoulish Victorian ‘Penny Dreadfuls’ - populist horror stories - the tale of Sweeney Todd and his cutthroat razors was notorious long before Stephen Sondheim brought it to Broadway, reworking Christopher Bond's 1970 stage play with his own music and lyrics, and text by Hugh Wheeler. 

In the grimy underbelly of 18th Century London, Sweeney Todd has returned from exile to be told by his neighbour Mrs Lovett - who makes ‘the worst pies in London’ - that tragedy has befallen his remaining family. Once a highly skilled barber, the glint of Sweeney’s blade now gives him other ideas - of revenge in the most gruesome fashion.

It’s enough to put you off your pub pie…

Musical theatre megastar Ramin Karimloo takes the title role in the Rep’s production, under the direction of the theatre’s Artistic Director, Joe Murphy. Karimloo gives the demon barber a great breadth of character - with almost imperceptible changes in his manner, his Sweeney Todd runs a gamut of emotions, from contempt for the people around him, through grief, to blinkered bloodlust. His vocals are hard to beat, too, as he makes Sondheim’s angular, atmospheric melodies seem effortless. 

Australian-born cabaret star Meow Meow appears as Mrs Lovett, and gives a stellar performance. While Sweeney broods, Mrs Lovett shoulders most of the play’s (very) dark comedy, and Meow Meow was drawing laughs from the audience, even as they crawled with revulsion. 

And there’s plenty to provoke that reaction, from the morally reprehensible actions of the characters - in particular, Judge Turpin, played by triple-Olivier-winner David Bedella - to the grizzly string of murders and violence. The production’s horror runs hand-in-hand with humour, and visceral disgust sits happily alongside well-delivered witty lyrics and larger-than-life characters. 

The ensemble cast are fantastic, looming like ghosts in the shadows and silhouettes of Rory Beaton’s lighting design. The tension is utterly gripping, from the start - as an organ chord from Musical Director Leo Munby wails and an enormous illustration of the fall of Lucifer disappears, revealing a statue of Justice which towers above for the remainder of the play. 

Across the board, the production’s design is spellbindingly effective. As Sweeney Todd’s jaded description brands London as 'a great black pit', designer Elin Steele hits the nail on the head. The cavernous stage is filled with bleak, grimy setpieces, and even the characters seem to have muck from the city climbing up the lower half of their costumes. 

With a talented company and iconic musical numbers, The Rep have created a gripping and gruesome production - the audience were on their feet immediately at the end of the show, after an evening of chills, laughter and bated breath. Book now, while you still can.

Five Stars

Sweeney Todd was reviewed on Tuesday 14 July by Jessica Clixby at Birmingham Rep, where it shows until Sunday 15 August