As part of their nine-show lineup at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, Captivate Theatre brings their rendition of Sondheim’s magnum opus Sweeney Todd to The Famous Spiegeltent in St Andrews Square. Humorous and gritty, the in-the-round set-up of The Spiegeltent added a voyeuristic, sinister energy to the production as the cast prowled through the audience, spying on as the action played out.
Captivate’s prominence in the Edinburgh amateur theatre scene guarantees a production of consistency and talent, with Sweeney Todd certainly keeping in line with this expectation. Unfortunately for me, I was rather distracted throughout the performance as having arrived later than the general audience, I found myself dejected to a stool rather than a seat – a stool with a mirrored pillar right in front of it – not an ideal combination for someone both vain and with developing back pain. Of course, this isn’t exactly an important or Captivate related critique, just something to bear in mind if you ever find yourself in The Spiegeltent!
This is not an easy stage to work with, having multiple connected platforms, each platform with only a little room to move around on, yet Captivate managed to use it to its fullest, utilising the levels to isolate and accentuate characters, while simultaneously adding dynamism to the blocking as they traverse the platforms.
Being set in the 1700s, the aesthetic design is key in translating the time period and heavy stylisation to the audience. With only a few crates for set pieces, one might think Captivate would struggle to capture the visceral visuality and heavy stylisation of the show but this is not the case at all – the high quality of the lighting design, efficient blocking, and bold performances all provided enough energy and ambience to make up for the stripped-back nature that the Fringe demands. The lighting drives the production design, with distinct bloody reds, smoky low-lit scenes, and dazzling streams of light that reflect the crazed attitude of Sweeney. Although the most distinct and advanced element of the production design, Captivate doesn’t overdo it, employing subtlety and comprehension to make a critically planned spectacle of the performance.
The orchestration in Sweeney Todd is intricate and flurrying – much of the emotion is driven by the band. It took me rather a long time to even realise there was a live band – so surely they were playing with technical excellence – it really sounded like a backing track! But maybe this isn’t completely not a good thing – surely this indicates a lack of feeling in the playing – we needed more passion and variation in the playing.
The performers were all strong – the ensemble especially were on point with their eerie portrayal of the Londoners. Having them walking around the audience was an excellent directorial choice, really amplifying the murderous themes of the show with their threatening presence. This is a very vocally demanding show, but the ensemble handled it well, matching the dynamics and nuances of the score perfectly. Our leads were all fantastic too – Sweeney was menacing and his arc was propelled along well with us really feeling his hatred towards Judge Turpin. The actor playing Beadle Bamford also caught my attention, and in this production really asserted himself, playing the character in a way which suggested he always knew exactly what was being plotted behind his back. The cast are all dreadfully frightening, tackling this complex and sinister show with confidence.
You really can’t go wrong with such well-written material and once again Captivate have pulled it out of the bag – the setting of The Spiegeltent really suited the show’s tone and the cast managed to fill the huge space with their presence. It’s just a shame I was so distracted by the rickety seating arrangement, because this show is (as the company’s name suggests) truly captivating.
Reviewer: Jessie Martin
Reviewed: 23rd August 2025
North West End UK Rating: