Viva Lewes Issue #162 March 2020

ON THIS MONTH: MUSICAL
Sweeney Todd
Michelle Dennis on the Demon Barber
If your concept of a musical
is something fluffy,
cheesy and superficial,
think again. The characters
in Stephen Sondheim’s
Sweeney Todd are believable,
the plot is exhilarating, unpredictable
and moving. It’s a
meaningful, thought-provoking piece of theatre.
This is the third Sondheim musical I’ve
been involved in with LOS Musical Theatre
since joining three years ago. I’ve had roles in
Into the Woods and Follies and now I’m excited to
be directing.
So you could say I’m a big fan of Sondheim,
who is a brilliant storyteller. His lyrics are clever
and incredibly insightful. I love how he draws
really credible characters: most of them are
deeply flawed, which makes them true and relatable.
For Sweeney Todd, he wrote the music and
the lyrics. It’s a masterpiece.
Sondheim based this version on a 1973
Christopher Bond play, itself an adaptation of
the famous mid-nineteenth-century pennydreadful
melodrama. It’s fascinating because it
explores the reasons behind Sweeney Todd’s
obsessive, violent behaviour. The story starts at
a point where he’s a broken man, confronting
personal tragedy. It’s fiction, and it is extreme
– especially the meat pies – but it makes you realise
what can happen when someone is badly let
down by society. Although it’s set in the 1860s it
feels very relevant.
Don’t be put off by the Tim Burton film
version, which dwells on the blood-and-guts
horror element of the story. There’s far more
to it than that. There are themes of corruption
and abuse of power that set a personal story
in a political context. And
there’s plenty of humour too,
especially from Mrs Lovett,
who is played for us, gloriously,
by Gina Cameron.
Sweeney is portrayed by
Thomas Hackett, an accomplished
performer with
a powerful stage presence. He’s being taught to
handle a wet razor by our sponsors, The Barber
Shop in the Riverside!
As we speak, we’re coming into the final
phase of rehearsals. The company of 34 actors
has been working really hard, especially on the
vocals. We’re lucky to have a talented and very
experienced professional Musical Director, Rob
Cousins making sure we do justice to what is
a beautiful score. He’ll also conduct our live
orchestra of nine musicians.
We rehearse in the Market Tower and only
gain access to the Town Hall a week before
opening night. Once we’re in we create a theatre
from scratch, so the stage, wings and lighting rig,
not to mention scenery are built almost overnight.
It’s a team effort, a great creative process.
Some of our company have been working
in operatic theatre in Lewes for many years,
since the long-gone Gilbert and Sullivan days.
The society is now called LOS Musical Theatre
to reflect a varied, modern repertoire which attracts
professional actors and younger members.
The most recent production, last October, was
Grease, which was a sell-out, and a huge success.
That has put the wind in our sails, setting a high
standard we’re determined to emulate.
As told to Alex Leith
Lewes Town Hall, March 31st-April 4th,
losmusicaltheatre.org.uk
Photo by Tom Freeman
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