Sweeney Todd (@F_C_Productions) [theatre review]

I went to see Sweeney Todd and I liked it.

No, scratch that. I *LOVED* it. And it’s not the fact that I was invited by Fighting Chance Productions to be their guest at the opening night (which happened last Thursday). It’s the fact that the cast was perfect. The music was strong. The dancing and choreography were solid through and through. As I told Ryan Mooney, Artistic Director of FCP: This might very well be the best performance I have seen by Fighting Chance Productions. And I have seen pretty much all of their work, including excellent Rent, tick tick boom! and a few others.

A chilling, suspenseful, heart-pounding masterpiece of murderous barber-ism and culinary crime tells the infamous tale of the unjustly exiled barber who returns to 19th century London seeking revenge against the lecherous judge who framed him and ravaged his young wife. His thirst for blood soon expands to include his unfortunate customers, and the resourceful proprietress of the pie shop downstairs soon has the people of London lining up in droves with her mysterious new meat pie recipe!

While it is, of course, a bit scary and gory in the details (LITERALLY), Sweeney Todd is also a demonstration of how powerful a (somehow twisted) love story can ultimately be a tale of self-destruction. Mooney and his cast do an amazing job of combining superb acting with a very strong cast and great scenic and stage management. I ended the show so amazed at the great work they had done that I just couldn’t contain myself and started congratulating each and every actor.

You should go see Sweeney Todd. I do recommend, though, you might want to make sure that your stomach is strong enough! It’s a fantastic production and Mooney and his company should be strongly commended.