The North East Theatre Guide: Preview: Sweeney Todd at Newcastle Tyne Theatre

Follow North East Theatre Guide on Twitter at https://twitter.com/NETheatreGuide and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NETheatreGuide. Read about JoWhereToGo and its PR and photography services here.

Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Newcastle Tyne Theatre & Opera House

Wednesday 2nd to Saturday 5th March 2016

Music & lyrics by STEPHEN SONDHEIM

Book by HUGH WHEELER

From an adaptation by CHRISTOPHER BOND

Originally directed by HAROLD PRINCE

Originally produced on Broadway by Richard Barr, Charles Woodward, Robert Fryer Mary Lea Johnson, Martin Richards in association with Dean & Judy Manos

This amateur production is presented by arrangement with JOSEF WEINBERGER LTD. on behalf of MUSIC THEATRE INTERNATIONAL of NEW YORK.

Friends of Tyne Theatre and Opera House present Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street – a musical thriller.

This follows on from the Friends enormously successful first production of The Pirates of Penzance in September 2015.

Set in19th century London, we follow the story of Benjamin Barker alias Sweeney Todd. Todd has returned to London from transportation following false charges. We follow Todd on his quest to get revenge on the judge that banished him. We become acquainted with the manipulative Mrs Lovett whose pies are transformed from The Worst Pies in London to “delicious” when the ingredients are swapped to the meat from Todd’s victims.

Premiered in 1979, this is widely recognised as one of Sondheim’s best and most complex scores containing many well-known songs:

• Not While I’m Around

• The Worst Pies in London

• My Friends

• Green Finch and Linnet Bird

• Johanna

• Pretty Women

• By the Sea

This production will be performed with a large live orchestra and large ensemble and will be directed by Lynne Wilmot. Lynne is a professional actress with a career including the following recent credits:

• Disney - Beauty and the Beast

• Universal – The Huntsman

• Les Miserables movie

• Madame Thenardier in restaged National Tour (including The Barbican and the Chatelet in Paris) of Les Miserables – working closely with Cameron Mackintosh, Claude Michel-Schonberg, Alan Boubil and Laurence Connor in order to redefine the role

• National tour of Les Miserables

• London Road film in association with the National Theatre

• Played the fallen angel Abbadon in The Vatican opposite Bruno Ganz as The Pope directed by Ridley Scott for Showtime in US

• Original cast for Cameron Mackintosh’s revival of Oliver! at Theatre Royal Drury Lane with Rowan Atkinson and choreography by Matthew Bourne

• Original cast for Jerry Springer the Opera at National Theatre and transfer to West End at the Cambridge Theatre

• The Captain of Kopenick – National Theatre

• Trained Central School of Speech and Drama in London

• Worked extensively training and inspiring young actors and singers – including 100% success rate in coaching for leading drama school auditions

Friends of Tyne Theatre and Opera House is part of Tyne Theatre and Opera House Preservation Trust (Charity Number 1120746). Funds raised from this performance will contribute to the preservation and future restoration of the Grade 1 listed Victorian Opera House.

The Friends first production was a huge success. North East Theatre Guide quoted “The show has real heart and is a pleasure to watch. The fabulous live orchestra coupled with talented singers who are clearly enjoying themselves...” Read the full North East Theatre Guide review here: http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/review-pirates-of-penzance-at-newcastle.html.

Tickets: