Sweeney Todd : The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

The Port Players Inc has, for the first time, has Stephen Sondheim, the greatest living American composer and lyricist for stage of on stage – Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street will play to theatre audiences all through May! Director Hamish Keddie is excited to bring such a diverse, dark and gothic tale to the stage. From his early mentoring under the great composer Oscar Hammerstein, Sondheim showed a knack for innovative musical techniques, unusual composition, and great lyrics. In his long career, the music of Stephen Sondheim has garnered him seven Tony Awards, an Academy Award and Pulitzer Prize for drama. His musicals are among the best loved in the canon of theater. The dark and tragic Sweeney Todd has become perhaps the best known of the Sondheim musicals. The story follows a wrongfully imprisoned barber in Victorian London, returned from 15 years in an Australian penal colony determined to get revenge. With the help of a colourful landlady, Todd sets about murdering his accusers in his barber shop and having them turned into pies. While Sweeny Todd is undoubtedly the most gruesome of the Sondheim musicals, it is consistently popular with audiences. In 2007, a film version was made by director Tim Burton, starring Johnny Depp as the demon barber. Stephen Sondheim has proved a visionary and unique addition to the world of musical theatre. His tunes may not always be easy to hum as he often ignores classic melodic structure, but they can be extremely affecting and are constructed with obvious technical prowess. Many musical critics consider the influence of Sondheim musicals to be one of the major forces in modern musical theatre, and his new works are still highly anticipated in the musical theater community. So please come along and get a taste for this musical thriller, opening night, Friday May 6 at 8pm.