31 Oct - 4 Nov 2000
This week They return to the same battleground, and with around half of the principals still in place, either in their old roles or in new ones. So how does it all stackup against the memory of 1990? The answer, I would say, is a near miss. Kevin Gauntlett’s production is in many respects a compelling one, but the fine balance between burlesque and genuine horror is not quite held, the former winning on points.
This balance has all to do with the two principals, the demonic Todd and his partner in crime Mrs Lovett.
Who will ever forget the grandly tragic performance of Ron Leagas in the former production?
His place is now taken by Mark Leach, who then played the hero and now wields the villain’s razor.
For all his sardonic menace, he is somewhat upstaged by his pie-making accomplice, a role Sheila Arden hurls herself into with all the relish of a Marie Lloyd as one of the ruins Cromwell knocked abaht a bit, biting off more than she has any right to chew but proving herself a mistress of mastication.
Cosying and chivvying and settling into comfortable domesticity as their murderous business expands, she reduces the vengeful Todd to the status of junior partner. Only when she is bundled into her own oven are the tables turned. Here is a five-star performance in a fourstar production.
Kevin Gauntlett reprises his role as the flashy fake Pirelli, sharing with Todd an exuberantly staged shaving and tooth--pulling contest.
Georg Tormann is fully equipped with the vocal resources necessary for the hero Anthony Hope, aided by Sarah Lynch as a pale, palpitating Johanna.
Daley Chaston has a wistful quality as poor simple-minded trusting Tobias while Patrick Vincent, who played him in 1990, emerges as a splendid Beadle Bamford unforgettably singing his swansong to Mrs Lovetts harmonium.
Cbris Arden has his memorable moments as a saturnine Judge Turpin fitting an extra-curricular masochism into the stiff robes of his judicial sadism.
MD Sarah Freestone copes admirably with Sondheim’s complex score in a production of which any amateur company would be proud.
Not quite 1990 perhaps, but not far off
Donald Madgewick
Croydon Advertise
3rd November 2000
Push comes to shove
Spectacular productions which demonstrate a determination to achieve the highest possible quality are the hallmark of West Wickham Operatic Society.
Unfortunately, opening night of last week’s revival of Sweeney Todd at the Churchill Theatre saw the vision and the reality failing to meet expectations.
Director Kevin Gauntlett, assisted by Steve Humfress, designed a new set for the Churchill stage. The result was a number of modules which could be moved by the actors. Visually the designs were excellent in creating images of 19th Century London.
The drawback was their weight. Moving them proved a tough task, making it difficult for the actors to generate any real pace or character.
The chorus, with great vocal power and articulation, was superb in its opening number and the scene that accompanied the overture, too, was artistically accomplished with gravediggers silhouetted against a sombre background. The powerful baritone of Mark Leach did much to enhance his portrayal of Sweeney Todd, although the character was rather less chilling and more sensitive than one might have expected.
This was a show with no weak characters or poor singers. Sheila Arden handled her role as Mrs Lovett, the pie shop owner, with relish. The cultured tenor of Georg Tormann perfectly matched his sensitive performance as a young sailor caught up in a cannibalistic nightmare, while Sarah Lynch, as Joanna, cleverly captured her character’s distress as she descended from the delights of romance to the hell of a lunatic asylum.
Kerry Bott created a multifaceted portrayal of the Beggar Woman, and there was good support from Chris Cahill, Chris Arden, Terry Gauntlett and Kevin Gauntlett .
Two performers made a, particular impact. Daley Chaston was very appealing as young urchin Tobias. It was a pity his expressive singing was not well served by the sound engineers. Patrick Vincent, as the Beadle, gave a performance bristling with talent.
The second half was dramatically better than the first, The characters began to relate to each other, the choral work improved, Sondheirn’s score continued to be played with great skill by the orchestra (directed by Sarah Freestone), Michael, Simpson’s lighting had moments of brilliance and the set modules moved just a little more freely.
Roy Atterbury
Kentish Times
9th November 2000
NODA London Area review
I prefer this show to be in a smaller venue and with just an ensemble of about 20 as it is written and as was performed at the Bridewell Theatre (not Bloomsbury Theatre as stated in the programme!). Having said that, however, I must say that this Company did a magnificent job with it. The difficult music was well learned and sung and the acting at all levels mostly just right for the piece.
The opening grave diggers, once the audience had stopped chattering, set the scene perfectly enhanced by the rain sound. It was sensible to use the full width of the big Churchill Theatre stage and putting the soloists into a spot worked very well.
This show is not entirely a one man affair but if the lead character is not of the highest order, the whole thing falls down. Mark Leach has an ideal voice for Sondhelm and the ideal stage presence for Sweeney. His acting and singing were strong throughout and he quite rightly dominated every scene. He was by turns bombastic, obsequious, gentle and quite definitely mad, an altogether most satisfying performance and one that held the whole piece together.
Another essential to the success of the show is Mrs Lovett and here Sheila Arden provided excellent back-up to Sweeney. Her diction was superb in Worst Pies in London’ although she had problems in the transition from head to chest voice. She looked wonderful in each of her costumes, managed to bring out the comedy (she is almost the only one to give this relief to the overwhelming darkness of the piece) and either mothered or bossed the other characters as required. She (and Todd) were also most sinister in, for instance, “My Friends”. Another satisfying performance.
Georg Tormann has just the right voice for Anthony and he displayed just the right amount of naivete in his early dealings with Todd and Johanna and the right amount of determination when confronted with, for instance, the Mad House and at the end of the show. I liked the production touch of having Anthony wipe his shoes on the back of his trousers before meeting Johanna for the first time.
Sarah Lynch has lovely diction and pure singing tone, she also has the looks for Johanna and the acting ability to convince us that, whilst she was dutiful to the wishes of her guardian, she was also truly terrified of his attentions towards her. She was also convincing in her first love for Anthony and in her behaviour after her escape from the Mad House.
The Beggar Woman is a difficult role to achieve the right combination of madness and fits of lucidity and Kerry Bott managed this well. She also sang accurately and well and managed all her somewhat bawdy dialogue and lyrics without embarrassment.
I thought that Chris Arden’s Judge Turpin was a little disappointing. He was not really sinister enough, nor disgusting enough in his attitude towards Johanna and he failed to convince me that his “Mea Culpas” were genuine (this was not helped by the fact that he was scourging himself through his shirt!), although he did scare the life out of Johanna by his slimy attentions. He gave the impression that he was being manipulated by the Beadle and I am not sure that this was the author’s intention and incidently, he lost the words at the beginning of “Pretty Woman”.
Patrick Vincent’s portrayal of Beadle Barmford must rank as one of the best I have seen of this character. His changes of tempo and clear diction during “Ladies in their Sensitivities” were ideal and, if anything, he was allowed to dominate too much at the expense of the Judge. His superiority over lesser beings was well demonstrated during the Pirelli/Todd contest and his unspoken willingness to be bribed was obvious during his scene with Mrs Lovett regarding “the stink”.
Kevin Gauntlett gave us an archetypal stage Italian Pirelli and slipped easily into his ‘native’ Irish. His singing voice was just right for the character and his behaviour as barber and tooth puller, together with his bullying of Tobias led us naturally to his viciousness towards Todd which brought about his untimely end.
Daley Chaston managed to convey the awkwardness of youth and the somewhat dimness of Tobias and his singing voice was strong in “Penny Buys a Bottle” where he reacted to the chorus very well. His final degradation and realisation of the dreadfulness of his situation were also most convincing. A difficult role well played.
The minor characters of the Bird Seller (Chris Cahill) and Jonas Fogg (Terry Gauntlett) were well managed as were the chorus members who had the odd speaking roles to play. The chorus in general had obviously been well drilled both musically and as far as stage direction is concerned. They switched well from character to character, as for instance, into the Mad House scene or earlier the rape which was very well directed so as to be convincing without embarrassment. There were one or two messy musical entries (the men, for instance after Pirelli’s death) but in general, the difficult music was well handled by them.
I felt that the set was a little too dominating in the case of the Pie Shop/Barber Shop truck in particular and that the Judge’s house was somewhat un-convincing. The problem with the amount of realism you were trying for is that an awful lot of time is spent pushing trucks around and this means that the show is lengthened and there is always the problem of having to get the audience back with you after a scene change. Lighting and sound were, with one or two hiccoughs, spot on and enhanced the whole production as did the props and costumes, all of which were authentic looking.
The orchestra had mastered the score and played with obvious enjoyment as well as expertise.
Congratulations on such a successful performance of a wonderful but most difficult show. What a shame you had so many empty seats to look out at - the combination of Sondheim (who people seem either to love or hate) and a rather grizzly plot obviously acted as a deterrent to some potential audience members but let us hope that they all come back for Oklahoma! to refill the coffers!
Dorothy was delighted to make the belated presentation of trophies and certificates to your society for magnificent poster design. The poster for Sweeney and the programme (with the exception of the error pointed out at the beginning) kept up the standard for this show.
Thank you to John and Julia Stone for your hospitality. I am sorry we had to run away so quickly after the show but it’s a long journey late at night from Bromley to Ruislip by public transport!
Dorothy Lawson
London Area Councillor
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31 Oct - 4 Nov 2000
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