| sweeney_todd_programme_notes.docx |
SET DESCRIPTION SWEENEY TODD
The set is revealed when the curtains open.
The stage is completely bare surrounded on all three sides by a wall of wooden panelling from floor to ceiling. The dark and light coloured wood merges with the panelling in the auditorium, creating a hemmed in feeling.
There are various doors and entrances in the panelling which are camouflaged and so cannot be seen when closed.
On the left and right sides are wide double doors which open away from the stage.
In centre of back is a very wide door which revolves from the middle, which allows entrances and exits, and also allows pieces of furniture to appear onstage.
To the left and right of this are two smaller doors.
The top half of the back panelling contains a series of sliding doors which slide open and closed to reveal various rooms: Joanna’s bedroom (top right) her sitting room, (top centre) and Sweeneys barber shop(top left)
Various items of furniture indicate the different rooms in the play.
Mrs Lovett pie shop in the first act has a black counter with silver decorations, on top of which area baking bowl, a bottle with a few tankards,
and a covered serving dish. There is also a chair to the right.
Sweeneys room in the first act has a large chest, a wash stand with mirror and a towel, and a rocking chair to the left.
Joannna’s bedroom has a white dressing table and chair with pale grey floaty curtains draped around the walls. Her sitting room has an elegant day bed.
In the second act, the barber shop has a large black reclining barbers chair, a coat stand and a trolley with equipment in it, and Mrs Lovetts pie shop now has eight tables with red checked tablecloths.
Under and slightly in front of the stage is the orchestra pit where there is a nine-piece band and conductor.
Sweeney Todd Programme Notes
Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
A production of Northern Ireland Opera and Lyric Theatre.
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Book by Hugh Wheeler. Directed by Walter Sutcliffe.
Sweeney Todd is played by baritone Steven Page. Todd is a tall, gaunt man of about 50 years old, bald and clean shaven. He first appears in a worn and dusty looking black great coat. He has a grubby, collarless, white shirt, and dark trousers tucked into heavy calf length boots. Later he takes off his coat and there is a dark red waistcoat over the white shirt. In Act 2 Todd wears a bright red collarless shirt with braces. When Todd is getting changed he is in a white union suit – a one piece shirt and long john set. Then he dons the red shirt, black trousers, boots and great coat again.
Anthony Hope is played by John Porter. Anthony is a young man of about 25 years old. He has reddish hair and a neat full beard and moustache. He wears the clothes of a Victorian sailor. Wide white canvas trousers, thick black boots, a heavy dark thigh length coat and a white shirt with dark stripes. When he first appears he has a black sailor cap with a small peak and a large, long white canvas duffel bag slung across his back.
Mrs Lovett is played by Julie Mullins. She is a woman of about 50 years old, with a full bosom and hips and a pretty face with lots of dark eye make-up. She has a pile of bright fiery red hair on top of her head. In the pie shop she is wearing a full Victorian skirt, pink with black netting, and an off the shoulder bodice trimmed with black net. She has black lace fingerless gloves, and a white apron wrapped round her waist. In Act 2 she wears a red velvet dressing gown trimmed with white feathers with feather cuffs. Later she changes into tight black trousers and black laced up boots with a small heel. Now she has a black bodice with white trim and a fitted jacket with a pattern of red flowers and a bustle. In her hair she wears a black fascinator.
Johanna is played by soprano Jessica Hackett. She is a pretty young girl, slim and pale with long blonde hair. In her room she wears a light, white frilled dress, ankle length with a high collar. Later she pulls on Anthony’s sailor coat and cap.
Tobias is played by Jack Wolfe. He is a young man with thick, dark hair and dark eyes. When he first appears he is rounding people up in the market for Pirelli. He wears a giant tall hat with a pattern like newspaper print, short trousers with red candy stripes and a white shirt and a black coat with tails.
Adolfo Pirelli is played by Matthew Cavan. Pirelli is handsome, lean and tall with long glossy dark hair under a tricorn hat. He wears tight black trousers with a flower motif on the thigh, tucked into knee length black boots and topped off with a broad red sash at the waist. He wears a bolero jacket with sparkling sequins and a high collar of black feathers.
Judge Turpin is played by Mark O’Regan. He’s a well-dressed older man of about 60 years old with shoulder length black curly hair. Turpin wears the fancy clothes of a Victorian dandy – a jacquard pattern frock coat tied with a wide cummerbund, a red cravat, dark trousers tucked into knee length boots and a black top hat with a white band. He carries a cane.
The Beadle is played by Richard Croxford. He is a man of about 60 who dresses in very fancy, foppish Victorian garb. He wears a powdered wig, a white shirt with ruffled collar and cuffs and a wide red sash round his waist. He has a cape slung over one shoulder and carries a long cane.
The Beggar Woman is played by Elaine Hearty. She appears to be an old woman, ragged and worn. Her white hair is loose and tangled and her crinoline skirt is reduced to rags, the hoops of it threadbare, exposing her skinny legs and ankles. She wears a battered old black hat.
The bird seller is played by a member of the ensemble. He dresses like an exotic fakir in a red turban and with a flowing cape that is lined with feathers.
Other characters are played by the ensemble, including the musical chorus. The chorus appear at various times in the show dressed in brown or yellow suits with polo necks. They all wear white socks that reflect the light so they seem to glow in the dark when they catch the theatre foot lights.
This audio description is brought to you by NI Sightlines in conjunction with the Lyric Theatre, Belfast. Don’t forget you can download programme notes and view forthcoming shows on NI Sightlines’ website at www.sightlines.co.uk.
We hope you will enjoy the show.
The set is revealed when the curtains open.
The stage is completely bare surrounded on all three sides by a wall of wooden panelling from floor to ceiling. The dark and light coloured wood merges with the panelling in the auditorium, creating a hemmed in feeling.
There are various doors and entrances in the panelling which are camouflaged and so cannot be seen when closed.
On the left and right sides are wide double doors which open away from the stage.
In centre of back is a very wide door which revolves from the middle, which allows entrances and exits, and also allows pieces of furniture to appear onstage.
To the left and right of this are two smaller doors.
The top half of the back panelling contains a series of sliding doors which slide open and closed to reveal various rooms: Joanna’s bedroom (top right) her sitting room, (top centre) and Sweeneys barber shop(top left)
Various items of furniture indicate the different rooms in the play.
Mrs Lovett pie shop in the first act has a black counter with silver decorations, on top of which area baking bowl, a bottle with a few tankards,
and a covered serving dish. There is also a chair to the right.
Sweeneys room in the first act has a large chest, a wash stand with mirror and a towel, and a rocking chair to the left.
Joannna’s bedroom has a white dressing table and chair with pale grey floaty curtains draped around the walls. Her sitting room has an elegant day bed.
In the second act, the barber shop has a large black reclining barbers chair, a coat stand and a trolley with equipment in it, and Mrs Lovetts pie shop now has eight tables with red checked tablecloths.
Under and slightly in front of the stage is the orchestra pit where there is a nine-piece band and conductor.
Sweeney Todd Programme Notes
Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
A production of Northern Ireland Opera and Lyric Theatre.
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Book by Hugh Wheeler. Directed by Walter Sutcliffe.
Sweeney Todd is played by baritone Steven Page. Todd is a tall, gaunt man of about 50 years old, bald and clean shaven. He first appears in a worn and dusty looking black great coat. He has a grubby, collarless, white shirt, and dark trousers tucked into heavy calf length boots. Later he takes off his coat and there is a dark red waistcoat over the white shirt. In Act 2 Todd wears a bright red collarless shirt with braces. When Todd is getting changed he is in a white union suit – a one piece shirt and long john set. Then he dons the red shirt, black trousers, boots and great coat again.
Anthony Hope is played by John Porter. Anthony is a young man of about 25 years old. He has reddish hair and a neat full beard and moustache. He wears the clothes of a Victorian sailor. Wide white canvas trousers, thick black boots, a heavy dark thigh length coat and a white shirt with dark stripes. When he first appears he has a black sailor cap with a small peak and a large, long white canvas duffel bag slung across his back.
Mrs Lovett is played by Julie Mullins. She is a woman of about 50 years old, with a full bosom and hips and a pretty face with lots of dark eye make-up. She has a pile of bright fiery red hair on top of her head. In the pie shop she is wearing a full Victorian skirt, pink with black netting, and an off the shoulder bodice trimmed with black net. She has black lace fingerless gloves, and a white apron wrapped round her waist. In Act 2 she wears a red velvet dressing gown trimmed with white feathers with feather cuffs. Later she changes into tight black trousers and black laced up boots with a small heel. Now she has a black bodice with white trim and a fitted jacket with a pattern of red flowers and a bustle. In her hair she wears a black fascinator.
Johanna is played by soprano Jessica Hackett. She is a pretty young girl, slim and pale with long blonde hair. In her room she wears a light, white frilled dress, ankle length with a high collar. Later she pulls on Anthony’s sailor coat and cap.
Tobias is played by Jack Wolfe. He is a young man with thick, dark hair and dark eyes. When he first appears he is rounding people up in the market for Pirelli. He wears a giant tall hat with a pattern like newspaper print, short trousers with red candy stripes and a white shirt and a black coat with tails.
Adolfo Pirelli is played by Matthew Cavan. Pirelli is handsome, lean and tall with long glossy dark hair under a tricorn hat. He wears tight black trousers with a flower motif on the thigh, tucked into knee length black boots and topped off with a broad red sash at the waist. He wears a bolero jacket with sparkling sequins and a high collar of black feathers.
Judge Turpin is played by Mark O’Regan. He’s a well-dressed older man of about 60 years old with shoulder length black curly hair. Turpin wears the fancy clothes of a Victorian dandy – a jacquard pattern frock coat tied with a wide cummerbund, a red cravat, dark trousers tucked into knee length boots and a black top hat with a white band. He carries a cane.
The Beadle is played by Richard Croxford. He is a man of about 60 who dresses in very fancy, foppish Victorian garb. He wears a powdered wig, a white shirt with ruffled collar and cuffs and a wide red sash round his waist. He has a cape slung over one shoulder and carries a long cane.
The Beggar Woman is played by Elaine Hearty. She appears to be an old woman, ragged and worn. Her white hair is loose and tangled and her crinoline skirt is reduced to rags, the hoops of it threadbare, exposing her skinny legs and ankles. She wears a battered old black hat.
The bird seller is played by a member of the ensemble. He dresses like an exotic fakir in a red turban and with a flowing cape that is lined with feathers.
Other characters are played by the ensemble, including the musical chorus. The chorus appear at various times in the show dressed in brown or yellow suits with polo necks. They all wear white socks that reflect the light so they seem to glow in the dark when they catch the theatre foot lights.
This audio description is brought to you by NI Sightlines in conjunction with the Lyric Theatre, Belfast. Don’t forget you can download programme notes and view forthcoming shows on NI Sightlines’ website at www.sightlines.co.uk.
We hope you will enjoy the show.
