Opera Scotland

Sweeney Todd 2025Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Read more about the opera Sweeney Todd

Sondheim's great music drama Sweeney Todd has not been performed nearly enough in Scotland. While the composer and librettist always denied that this was an opera, it has to be said that in recent years it has been performed largely by opera companies.  But here we have the students of the Conservatoire, specifically the Final Year BA Musical Theatre and MA Musical Directing courses, participating in a complex and demanding enterprise - and with two performances on each of the four days.

Six of the nine named roles were double cast, with the alternates combining with the three shorter solo parts to form the 'ensemble' of unnamed characters and chorus.  All fifteen students thus appeared at each performance - very hard work for all.  The two casts were identified by name as 'Demons' and 'Barbers', without specifying performances. Our visit for the second performance (on Tuesday evening) saw the Demons at work.

Nowadays, of course, as with every producer, the Conservatoire has to present potential audience members with a list of the dreadful events of which they should be aware, and, if necessary steel themselves. 

Alright, everyone, the show does involve Violence and Gore, Cannibalism, Sexual Content, Dark Themes, Disturbing Humour, Intimations of Sexual Violence, Self Harm. The last of this long list of warnings is 'Animal Death' - Mrs Lovett remarks sourly that many of the neighbourhood cats have vanished, thanks to her competitors' activities. However you can't make many pies from one pussy.

In overall terms, the production reached a superb standard.  Direction and design were hard to fault, with a set consisting of solid-looking but easily movable elements, very carefully lit.  The ensemble moved in carefully choreographed groupings, all beautifully timed.  While the voices all managed their parts well, one stood out for its musical quality, the lovely rich bass of Nathaniel Attard as the Judge as well as his appearances in the ensemble.  The pit band, concealed from view under the stage, played Jonathan Tunick's Weill-like orchestration crisply.

The only issue with the performance, for these ears at least, was the incessantly overpowering volume at which it was all presented.  This has become more of an issue with musical theatre in recent years. It may be that the sound system was still being adjusted from the level required for rehearsals in an enpty theatre and that it would have settled down later in the week.  Let us hope so.  The New Athenaeum is, after all, a wonderfully intimate venue in which students should be able to give of their best with minimum amplification.

The performance at 7pm on Friday 5 December was to be BSL interpreted by Melissa Toner and Yvonne Strain.

 

It isn't long since the Conservatoire's last staging.  It has also been done by rep theatres.  Perth gave its Scottish premiere with Donald Maxwell and Linda Ormiston. 

More recently, in 2010, Dundee Rep presented it when the company's director was James Brining, an expert hand with musical theatre.  Brining later moved to Leeds as director of West Yorkshire Playhouse.  He also directed at Opera North, but is now back in Scotland, based at the Lyceum in Edinburgh.  Let's hope that he will be able to resume his work on musicals and opera on home turf.  His interpretation of the early Kander & Ebb show Flora, the Red Menace at Dundee was especially memorable