Our NODA review written by Frank Wooles

In February the Paget rooms, Penarth, was no place for the faint-hearted where garish costumes, grotesque make-up and blood aplenty heightened the macabre atmosphere of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd, the demon barber of Fleet Street. Sung with controlled emotion and sensitivity, Ralph Thomas gave a powerful performance in the demanding role as a dark and demented Sweeney Todd, morose and determined in seeking revenge. The recycling pie-maker Nellie Lovett, was expertly played by Janet Holloway, who made light of intricate patter numbers and displaying a chilling streak of evil in her collaboration with Todd - two fine performances of depth and complexity. Johanna, Sweeney's lost daughter was attractively played and sung by Rhiannon Rose and, with Rick Thomas as her sailor suitor, Anthony, the lyrical romantic numbers in the score were well covered. Tim Brown was a character from comic opera as the colourful, boastful travelling barber Pirelli, and Richard Thomas was touchingly gentle and vulnerable as the unfortunate innocent, Tobias. With a disturbing flagellation scene a strong performance by Laurence Clarke as the corrupt, lascivious Judge Turpin. Paul Buckle, volatile and vicious as Beadle Bamford, Lorna Welch, deranged, pathetic Beggar Woman and Nigel Holloway, an observant, Jonas Fogg, filled these cameos with strength and substance and every player presented an individual to people an unromantic and squalid Victorian London. Ruairidh MacLeod-Lyon's fine production was bold and imaginative, stripping away all the trimmings to an effective stark, minimalist stage and finding moments of high drama, gentle romance and dark humour. Under the baton of Jo Herco, the orchestra handled well the score which is Sondheim at his strident, discordant best, full of power and atmosphere interwoven with the sweetness of heart touching ballads and the lightness of comic numbers. A complex, intriguing modern opera and an impressive staging by Concept.

Originally published Autumn 2007

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