Sweeney Todd at Sydney Opera House

With generous servings of greed, lust, and vengeance, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is headed to the Sydney Opera House this winter from 22 July to 27 August. 

Winner of eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Sweeney Todd has thrilled audiences worldwide with its emotive score and compellingly complex characters. Stephen Sondheim’s celebrated music and lyrics, and book by Hugh Wheeler, tell the spine-chilling tale of a barber driven to madness, fuelled by a consuming desire for revenge in this deliciously dark exploration of human nature. 

Stuart Maunder AM’s production of the classic gothic musical will make its Sydney premiere after seasons in Melbourne, Perth, and Adelaide, as well as a New Zealand tour with NZ Opera. Starring Ben Mingay as musical theatre’s most-loved villain, Sweeney himself, and Antoinette Halloran as the madly devoted Mrs Lovett, this diabolical duo will lead an18-strong cast and 9-piece orchestra.

The cast features Harry Targett (Hairspray) as Anthony Hope, Ashleigh Rubenach (An American In Paris) as Johanna, Dean Vince (Cinderella) as Judge Turpin, Jeremi Campese (Godspell) as Tobias Ragg, Kanen Breen reprising his role as Beadle Bamford (Melbourne Victorian Opera season), Margaret Trubiano (Into The Woods) as Beggar Woman, and Benjamin Rasheed (The Merry Widow) as Signor Pirelli. The ensemble is completed by Rachael Cunningham, Jarrod Griffiths, Michaela Leisk, Katie McKee, Jessica Mills, Joshua Robson, Anna Stephens, Louis Vinciguerra, and Elias Wilson. 

Maunder says: “We’ve wanted to bring this musical thriller to Sydney for a very long time, so premiering it at the Sydney Opera House is an experience every bit as thrilling as the musical itself. There’s no doubt that Sydneysiders will embrace this most theatrical tale of horror, which for all its blood and gore, tells a universal human story; revenge, obsession, and lust, yes, but also of pain, yearning, even love.” 

Sydney Opera House Head of Contemporary Performance, Ebony Bott, says: “The tale of the demon barber of Fleet Street has captured imaginations for decades, as we delve deep into the mind of a man pushed to the very limit of his humanity. This production of Sweeney Todd is a gripping night at the theatre sure to keep audiences on the edge of their seat.

Sydney Opera House presents this Victorian Opera and New Zealand Opera production, directed by Stuart Maunder, and featuring set and costume design by Roger Kirk AM, original lighting design by Philip Lethlean realised by Jason Morphett, and sound design by Jim Atkins.

Images: Ben Mingay and Antoinette Halloran. Photographer: Daniel Boud, and the cast of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in rehearsal ahead of the Sydney Opera House season. Photographer: Jordan Munns

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
A Musical Thriller

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by Hugh Wheeler

Licensed exclusively by Music Theatre International (Australasia)
A Victorian Opera and New Zealand Opera Production

When: 22 July – 27 August, 2023
Where: Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House
Price: From $59.00 + booking fee

On-sale:  9am, Friday 12 May, 2023

https://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/musical-theatre/sweeney-todd