Cabaret

Who Sweeney Todd: His Life, Times and Execution!

What Gothic retelling of the life, times and execution of the famous eighteenth-century barber with puppets, song and plenty of slapstick tomfoolery.

Why There are several musical interludes as well as a shadowy gothic aesthetic in this reinvention of ‘Sweeney Todd’, the Georgian barber of Fleet Street who sliced and diced his customers before handing their bodies over to Mrs Lovett and her pies, but that’s where any Tim Burton comparisons should start and end. Sweeney Todd, in Finger In The Pie’s retelling, is less of a man bent on a corpse-building rampage and something of a gentle and shy clown. Gin-drinking puppets – both shadow and marionette – feature prominently and with skill (the company have worked with Jim Henson puppeteers, and it shows), comic turns and even a bit of juggling: an strong performance by a promising young company.  

Until Aug 31 at Gilded Balloon, 2.15pm, and then at Jackson’s Lane Theatre London, September 5 & 6. See listings