Sweeny Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street – Birmingham Rep

With the recent death of Stephen Sondheim musical theatre has been robbed of its most eloquent and profound creator – of whom Mandy Patinkin said, “The man who wrote my prayers has died” – we are left with a long, long legacy of which everyone who has ever placed pen to paper and finger to key would be right to call the Master. His works, words and tunes swooping high over all his contemporaries and masterfully nail what a great artist aims for – trying to understand the human condition. Words and music achingly blending with profound insight evoking feelings and sensations we never knew we had or could identify until he helped us.

It is right and proper, then the Birmingham Rep as part of Joe Murphy’s new programme offer us one of Sondheim’s most loved, most performed and most emulated pieces – Sweeney Todd – the grim and grimey tale of a deadly killer lurking amidst smog-riddled streets of London purportedly based on true events. But of course! For his inspiration Sondheim turned to Christopher Bond’s retelling of the gruesome tale which in turn first drew on the original story hidden in the shadows of a penny dreadful serial called “The String of Pearls.”

And the Birmingham Rep prove themselves a force to reckon with in this brutal and intense iteration of the oft told tale. Joe Murphy has made his blood-stained mark good and proper helming this tight and intelligent interpretation with deft assurance foreshadowing the brilliance Brummies have to expect in the remainder of his new programme. Though the set is somewhat spartan it is peopled with triple and quadruple threat performers multi-roling their way through the comic/tragic tale. Notably Jack Gibson as Tobias Ragg whose heart-rending rendition of “Nothing’s Gonna Harm You” heralded a stand out moment, Shem Omari James as Anthony Hope was tonally perfect and ably coupled with Jo Stephenson as Johanna. David Bedella brings sonerous and imposing authority to Judge Turpin. Meow Meow trips giddily along as Mrs Lovett with a gay disregard for the hideous crimes in which she is embroiled scoring laugh and laugh. The title role and star of the show is, of course, Ramin Karimloo whose luscious tones envelop the words and melodies as if written for him and provides a naturalist core of tragedy whilst all about him is barnstorming melodrama. He holds the show, the stage and audience in the palm of his bloody hands.

Leo Mundy leads a stunning orchestra with a maestro’s aplomb and Kelsh Buckman-Drage’s sound design both embellishes and enhances their work. The audience were enrapt throughout its near three hours running and there were moments are you could almost hear a pin – or a razor – drop.

A perfect pearl of musical precision!

Reviewer: Peter Kinnock

Reviewed: 13th July 2026

North West End UK Rating: