BY MICHAEL HAMMELMANN
‘Sweeney Todd’ by Sondheim
Victorian Opera
The Playhouse Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne, 17 July
It took a long time for the audience to settle before the gigantic roar of the organ marked the start of Sondheim’s great musical ‘Sweeney Todd’. It’s the story of a barber (Sweeney Todd/Benjamin Barker, played by Teddy Tahu Rhodes) who, after 15 years in the colonies on trumped up charges, returns to London in order to seek bloody vengeance upon Judge Turpin (played by Phillip Rhodes) and the other men who tore his family apart. He teams up with Mrs. Lovett (played by Antoinette Halloran), the owner of a less-than-average pie shop downstairs from what becomes Sweeney’s barbershop. His early attempt to end the judge’s life is foiled by his companion Anthony (a sailor played by Blake Bowden), who walks in moments before the judge’s demise and tells Sweeney of his endeavours to marry Johanna (played by Amelia Berry). Johanna happens to be Judge Turpin’s ward and love interest, as well as Sweeney’s daughter. Failing to achieve his main objective, Sweeney undergoes an epiphany, declaring that no man is safe from his silver razor blade.
The set and costume designs were well thought out by Roger Kirk – he was able to evoke a busy yet impoverished London lifestyle of the time with very limited stage space. The use of having the double-storey complex containing Mrs. Lovett’s pie shop and Sweeney’s barber shop upstairs on a swivel worked to the production’s advantage as it was able to further illustrate the back part of the pie shop and the horrors in it. In addition, both the left and right hand sides of the stage were used extremely effectively as they operated as a common walkway, the judge’s residence and the entrance to an insane asylum. The contrast in costume and set between the first and second acts suggesting the pie shop becomes a wealthier establishment was ingenious. Furthermore, the death scenes were carried out in a tasteful manner. They were confronting and graphic without becoming over the top and a complete blood bath.
Rhodes’ thunderous bass baritone voice was an absolute highlight of the evening. He never lost energy or tone through the performance. Songs such as ‘The Barber and his Wife’ and ‘Pretty Women’ were conveyed with clarity and resonance, whilst Rhodes’ voice also created a strong platform for the duets between himself and the characters of Mrs. Lovett, the judge and Anthony. During Sweeney’s epiphany, Rhodes displayed the raw emotions required of the character in a passionate manner, emphasizing his capable acting skills.
Halloran’s portrayal of the talkative and cheerful Mrs. Lovett was carried out with conviction. Her voice was light and full of operatic overtones, balancing out Rhodes’ dark sound therefore making her the perfect counterpart. She was able to adopt various changes in her acting styles, shifting from an immoral woman to a motherly figure in her connection with the character Toby. The pairing of Blake Bowden and Amelia Berry as Anthony and Johanna also worked wonders with both showing exquisite vocal talent. Bowden’s renditions of ‘Johanna’ were delivered in a stunning fashion, whilst Berry sung with strength accompanied with a healthy dose of vibrato making songs such as ‘Green Finch and Linnet Bird’ as well as her duets with Bowden vibrant and colourful.
The characters of Adolfo Pirelli and Beadle Bamford (played by David Rogers-Smith and Kanen Breen) provided a comical relief to what would have otherwise been a dreary affair. Ross Hannaford showed class in his depiction of Toby, his voice beaming with purity along with the ensemble and Orchestra Victoria enriching the overall performance.
Victorian Opera’s ‘Sweeney Todd’ is a stunning spectacle to witness with a cast filled with beautiful voices, making it a show well worth seeing.
Image supplied. Credit: Jeff Busby.
