Sweeney Todd

Birmingham Rep

Plays until August 15th 2026

***RAISE THE ROOF SPECIAL CONCERT ON 16.08 WITH RAMIN & MEOW MEOW - (Fundraiser for The Rep’s Roof repairs in 2027)

We witnessed 5***** Musical perfection with RAMIN & MEOW MEOW & DAVID BEDELLA - A definitive production of SWEENEY TODD

Birmingham Rep - ‘THE CAST KILLED IT!’ - ‘YOU’LL LOVE-ETT!’

‘BLOODY BRILLIANT’

‘GRAB A SLICE IF THE ACTION’

‘MEOW MEOW - WOW WOWS AS MRS LOVETT!’

‘SWEENEY TOOD AT THE REP. NO NOTES'

Some shows come around every x10 years. So don’t be surprised to hear reviewers say - ‘So good I’m booking to see ‘________’ again!’ - I read that all the time. Well my little Musical theatre lovelies…. (Or shouldn’t be ‘LOVE-ETTES’!) - I’m booking to see this show for a 2nd time - for real - in August. & I’ll explain why now…..

SWEENEY TODD is my 3rd favourite musical of all time. Sure, there’s lots of great shows out there - and you’ll spend a lifetime watching them of course…. But this dark, cut-throat tale of justice, heart ache and retribution seems to get me every time.

Setting the scene:

As a 2nd year student in 1998 at Birmingham’s UCE studying theatre design BA (hons) I was handed a tape recording of Angela Landsbury’s classic London cast recording of Sweeney Todd. I was told to listen to it and design the set and costumes based on what I was listening to. Sondheim's witty, dark and let’s face it - disturbing in parts tale balanced with the Lovett charm and hope sentiments just really fascinated me.

I grabbed charcoal sticks and created a moody, atmospheric revolving set that my tutors gushed over. I remember the head of faculty telling me did really encapsulate Sweeneys desperate Fleet Street world. My 1:25 scale model of the barbers char actually worked inc the actor's chute to quickly whisk them x8 feet under the Birmingham rep stage. High praise indeed from the trained RSC designer. Good times.

So….. picture if you will - almost x30 years later I’m heading to the Rep to see this show that meant so much to me. I know it word for word. I had a clear vision of what was going to be revealed on stage. I was delighted that the black and white staging was here in 2026. I love the royal courts of justice monolith towering over the stage. If you’ve been to Fleet Street, you’ll know that there are indeed pastry shops - Gail’s not Lovett’s (sadly)! There’s a barber shop called ‘Sweeney’s’. & if you walk x10’ mins further you have the court building. This world is all very familiar. And I love-ett.

The set at the Rep is operatic in scale. Anything on that huge stage you see has been made at the theatre in their workshops. One of the last remaining producing theatres in the UK. I like this fact. It’s in-house - lovingly hand made. It’s a concrete brutalist vision of cold-hearted London for its desperate characters to inhabit. The great news is that it really works for all who tread the boards there. You can almost smell the stench of one of the pies. & look out for the gore spewing from the mincer after the interval…. Totally fabulous & gross prop making.

Angela Landsbury’s 1979 performance as Lovett on Broadway earned her a Tony. So much love for this career defining outing - So could 2026’s Lovett - MEOW MEOW live up to such a high standard.

Well let me tell you - her arrival on stage as a bare foot - dough stompin’ stressed out pie maker couldn’t have been more iconic!

MEOW MEOW - we take our hat and our wig off to you! STUN-NING. Your comedy peak has to be when - during ‘DOWN BY THE SEA’ - you skip merrily up those stage right steps (for the 1000th time) in heels and turn back & say delusionary ‘Stop trying to chase me’ to a vacant Todd at the bottom of the stairs. HIL-AR-IOUS! Perfection whoever came up with that - just know that’s my stage highlight of the year! You have carefully succeeded in bettering a certain murder she wrote actresses portrayal… you are now the Mrs Lovett that will come to mind immediately from now on. The stand out performer in this star-studded show is most definitely - you. - Perfection.

We move onto RAMIN KARIMLOO - no stranger to Manchester Theatrical having seen him in Holby, Phantom & NINE at The Lowry last year. A firm Musical Theatre favourite for young & old fans - & a great role model for how to treat fans at stage door - we too are fans & even more so after this performance. Sweeney is a physical and vocal x3 hour work-out. Ramin seems to be able to breeze through each and every number. Is he a threatening menace ? Not on the night we saw the show. He comes across a bit more of a troubled Sweeney to previous incarnations. Staring into the audience gloom looking bewildered. ‘Staring is the act of looking at someone or something fixedly for a prolonged period, usually with wide-open eyes. It communicates strong nonverbal cues and can be driven by a variety of feelings, including deep concentration, surprise, affection, or even hostility.’ This he does and adds to the role. You can’t fault his vocals. His pounding, pensiveness. Just a mild threat even at the height of his singing prowess. As phantom I was scared witless! I wanted to feel more of that.

I was excited to see DAVID BEDELLA as Beagle in the show. He’s always been my ultimate baritone FRANK N’ FURTER since seeing him in Manchester way back in 2009! His dulcet tones worked well tonight. He’s played Sweeney in the past and is looking forward to audiences seeing him in his current guise.

So - probably the longest review I’ve given in a while - but needed you to see what angle I was coming from. In short: ‘SWEENEY TODD REVIVAL AT THE REP IS A MUST SEE… A SHOW THAT SURELY HAS A UK & IRELAND TOUR ABOUT TO BE ANNOUNCED?!’

I look forward to seeing you all again in August

https://www.birmingham-rep.co.uk/whats-on/sweeney-todd-the-demon-barber-of-fleet-street/