It was a while ago but I figured I should write it anyway, since it was fantastic! And I might not be the best person to write reviews but.. here we go;
May 15 to June 8 this year was a production of Sweeney Todd put up at the Gothenburg Opera in Gothenburg, Sweden. Performing were actors from London's West End and it was performed in the original language. It was a semi-staged production, meaning they didn't have a full set but if you asked me they did better without.
Cast included:
Michael McCarthy as Sweeney Todd
Rosemary Ashe as Mrs Lovett
Rachel Barrell as Johanna
David Shannon as Anthony
Ian Burford as Judge Turpin
Rohan Tickell as Beadle Bamford
Roni Page as Beggar Woman/Lucy
James Edwards as Pirelli
Paul Spicer as Toby
I can start by saying that I saw 8 out of 15 shows (but I would have seen all of them if I didn't have school and lived to far away), including the premier and final performance. (I also got invited to the afterparty, of the final performance, which I attended)
I had not seen the motion picture before I saw the show but I had seen the Broadway show on YouTube and I owned the soundtrack. And I have to say that this production was far better than the Broadway one.
First, the casting was brilliant.
Michael McCarthy did the perfect Sweeney. He has such a good voice for this sort of thing, it's very powerful but at the same time can be very sensitive. This really showed in the Epiphany scene, which was done really dramatic with the way it was lit and they had smoke coming up with him walking through it. Ah, gave me goose-bumps every time!
It was great seeing Rosie Ashe do Mrs Lovett. I was smiling through Worst Pies in London, and the Little Priest scene had me cracking up loudly! Now the show was performed in English in Sweden with Swedish subtitles(!). Now the translation, which I didn't read during the performance but I couldn't resist seeing how they'd translated some of it, was really bad and it's too bad because I don't think that the audience really understood all the jokes. I had fun though. And during the piano scene (Parlor songs or whatever it's called) Rosie had a thing of doing it a bit different for every performance which was really great for us seeing it multiple times.
One member of the cast who really got to me was David Shannon (playing Anthony). He had such a beautiful voice which (I'm a bit embarrassed) brought me to tears. And also Rachel Barrell (playing Johanna) had a beautiful voice.
One person who had me laughing non stop whenever he was on was James Edwards (playing Pirelli). Words can't describe it but all the small things he did was just so funny!
And another highlight for me was seeing Paul Spicer (playing Toby). He did the sweetest Toby ever. They played more on Toby being a child than a bit slow adult (as in the Broadway show). Nothing's gonna harm was unbelievably beautiful and had me sobbing every time. (I cried.. and laughed.. quite a lot in this performance, which you can say is a sign of a really good show!).
The remaining cast were great, and so where the Swedish ensemble (though you could hear they struggled with the English at times).
All in all, this production has to be one of the best productions I've ever seen staged (and it isn't even my favourite musical)!
I also have to add that me and my friend were the only ones at stage Door at every performance we saw so we sort of got to know the actors and we even got invited to the Final Performance After Party. *highlight of my life* :D
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At the official website you can watch a trailer of the performance and see pictures from it.
http://www.opera.se/item.aspx?id=4910(the site is in Swedish but) To watch the trailer click "Se Film!" and to look at pictures click "Se bilder!"
Edit: I did find a link to the official website in English;
http://www.opera.se/item.aspx?lang=2&id=4910(note: to watch trailer click "Se Film!")[B]