Audition Notice
A Studio Theatre Production
Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, by CG Bond
Directed by Sophie Pierce
Audition dates:
Sunday 23 July, 7.30 – 9.30pm
Wednesday 26 July, 7.30 – 9.30pm
Location: The Terrace Room, South Hill Park Arts Centre, Bracknell
Auditions will involve reading parts of scenes in pairs or groups. No preparation necessary. You can attend either of the audition dates. Please contact us for more info about the script or with any questions you may have. We look forward to hearing from you!
Show dates:
Performance dates are Wed 6 – Sat 9 Dec 2023, (four performance nights, 7.30pm). Cast would need to be available for all nights of show week (w/c Sunday 3 December). Location = Studio Theatre, South Hill Park, Bracknell.
Rehearsals:
Rehearsals will likely commence from early August 2023. Twice-weekly at South Hill Park to start with, with extras added later (likely to be weekday or Sunday evenings 7.30 – 10pm, but up for discussion with the cast).
Synopsis:
The infamous bloodthirsty barber is coming in all his gory glory to the Studio Theatre! Full of gothic Victorian melodrama, this is the original play that inspired Sondheim’s musical, updated with a stylised bang. Think Hitchcock meets Jack the Ripper (now there’s an alley we wouldn’t want to head down!)
Todd arrives back in London after being imprisoned on a false charge, determined to avenge his family’s treatment at the hands of the sleazy Judge Turpin. Todd returns to his barber shop above Mrs Lovett’s pie shop, and the pair quickly strike up a dastardly partnership, mutually benefitting his thirst for vengeance and her need for pie fillings…
Characters:
- Sweeney Todd barber and former convict
- Mrs Lovett, seller of pies
- Anthony Hope, young adventurer and Todd’s friend
- A mysterious beggar woman
- Johanna, ward of Judge Turpin
- The sleazy and corrupt Judge Turpin
- A Beadle, the local law-enforcer
- Tobias Ragg, young street vendor
- Alfredo Pirelli, seller of dubious hair tonics
- A balding man, purchaser of dubious hair tonics
- Jonas Fogg, proprietor of the Lunatic Asylum
Production notes:
Sweeney Todd is a full-length play (not the musical version) (there will be one interval, each half being around 60 mins). This is a community theatre production. The Studio Theatre at South Hill Park welcomes everyone, regardless of background or experience.
Director’s note:
When David was talking to me about directing at the Studio Theatre again, I was so excited. And when he listed Sweeney Todd among his list of titles in consideration, I got even more excited.
It has always been a story that captivates me, the idea of this vengeful force who is driven by injustice and a warped sense of morality. Unlike most serial killers (sorry, spoiler alert) we feel a sense of pity and empathy towards Todd, which makes him such an interesting character to explore. Add into the mix the maniacal Mrs Lovett, a touch of Victorian melodrama and the possibility to sprinkle my own touch on this most beloved of stories, and I was hooked. Now I just can’t wait to get started!
For more info, please contact:
Sophie Pierce (Director)
sophie.j.pierce@nullgmail.com
David Stacey (Producer)
Davidstacey.home@nullgmail.com
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