NIDA acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the lands on which we learn and tell stories, the Bidjigal, Gadigal, Dharawal and Dharug peoples, and we pay our respects to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders past and present.

ENTER
dollar-line light
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Directed by
Constantine Costi

Music Direction by
Andrew Worboys

Choreography by 
Shannon Burns


09 Jun – 17 Jun 2023
2hrs 45mins

About the show

A Musical Thriller

“Alright! You sir, you sir, how about a shave?”

Here is one of American musical theatre’s greatest achievements, produced in theatres and opera houses around the world – a theatrically bold work full of soaring beauty, pitch-black comedy and stunning terror.

Sweeney Todd, a victim of a gross injustice that robbed him of his wife and child, takes revenge by slitting the throats of the customers who visit his barbershop. As the piled-up bodies start causing suspicion, he hits upon a novel idea – he passes his 'patrons' to Mrs. Lovett’s struggling pie shop... meat pie, anyone?

Part melodrama, part Grand Guignol blood-fest,this work also tells a very human tale of revenge and lust, of yearning and love.

Content warning:
Sweeney Todd contains scenes including death, murder, physical violence, blood, depiction of cannibalism, drug use, e-cigarettes, sexual content, haze, loud music, and flickering (but not strobing) lighting effects.

Constantine is a Sydney-based writer, opera and theatre director. His work includes directing the revival of LaTraviata in Sydney and Melbourne for Opera Australia, and the Red Line Productions-Kurt Weill double-bill Mahagonny Songspiel and The Seven Deadly Sins.

Previous projects include directing the film A Delicate Fire (Pinchgut Opera), La Traviata on Sydney Harbour (OA), co-directing Werther (OA), the award-winning production of Bittersweet Obsessions, Händel’s Messiah, and co-directing Karakorum (Australian Brandenburg Orchestra)

Constantine also directed Puccini’s Suor Angelica for Opera Projects Sydney; Puccini’s Il Tabarro at Alfie’s Sydney; and The Space Between The Fuel and The Fire for NIDA. In 2023, Constantine is directing the premiere of Melbourne, Cheremushki for Victorian Opera.

Andrew grew up in Orange, a town in the central west of New South Wales Australia, surrounded by pub rock and musical theatre.

Andrew has musically directed productions of Sweet Charity, Truth, Beauty and a Picture of You, Little Shop of Horrors, High Fidelity, Rent, Assassins, Young Frankenstein, American Psycho and Merrily We Roll Along (Hayes Theatre Co). He has also musically directed The Dismissal (Squabbalogic), Betty Blokkbuster Reimagined (Red Line Productions), A Chorus Line (DTC), Mr Burns – A Post Electric Play (NIDA), and The Lovers (Bell Shakespeare). Andrew has also been a regular musical director and performer for The Wharf Revue.

Andrew has toured with Christine Anu, Jenny Morris, Melanie Safka, Florence and The Machine, Jimmy Somerville and John Cameron Mitchell.

Andrew co-produced the original Australian cast recording of Hedwig and The Angry Inch, and Jimmy Somerville’s album Suddenly Last Summer.

Andrew has received the Hayes Gordon Memorial Award for Important Contribution to Theatre, and a Sydney Theatre Award for Best Musical Direction for his work on American Psycho.

Most recently, Shannon was movement director for Victorian Opera’s production of Melbourne, Cheremushki (2023). Her work for Opera Australia includes choreographing Carmen on Cockatoo Island (2022), Handa Opera’s La Traviata on Sydney Harbour (2021), Opera for the People (2021) and the New Year’s Eve Gala (2020). More choreographic credits include Pinchgut Opera’s A Delicate Fire (2020), Platée (2021), Orontea (2022) and The Seven Deadly Sins and Mahagonny Songspiel (Red Line Productions).

Shannon was on the choreographic team for the ICC T20 Cricket World Cup Opening Ceremony (2020) and had featured choreography in the Netball World Cup Opening Ceremony (2016). She was resident movement director for the return season of Once (Darlinghurst Theatre Company, 2021) and has created work for Grayboy the Agency, Kermond Creative Entertainment, Lovegrove Entertainment, David Jones, iCloud and more.

Cast

In order of appearance

Anthony Hope
Ariyan Sharma

Sweeney Todd
Gabriel Sheehan

Beggar Woman
Evie Korver

Mrs. Lovett
Juliette Coleman

Judge Turpin
Jackson Hurwood

The Beadle
Toby Carey

Johanna
Tessa Olsson

Tobias Ragg
Owen Hasluck

Pirelli/Jonas Fogg
Harold Phipps

13 Ensemble
Elliot Aitken
Ginger Freudenstein
Lana Kuti
Shakinah Kyalo
Gabi Lanham
Sione Latu
Oliver Miskovich
Lauren Mitchell
Danijela Novakovic
Paloma Renouf
Montana Vincent
Hamish Wells

Understudies
Brodie Masini*
Charlotte Lucas*

Band

Keyboard 1/Musical Director
Andrew Worboys*

Woodwind
Andrew Robinson*

Guitars/Mandolin
Nick Drescher*

Drums
Cypress Barlett*

Bass
Konrad Ball*

Trumpet
Arkie Moore*

Keyboard 2/Associate Musical Director
Dylan Pollard*

Director
Constantine Costi*

Musical Director
Andrew Worboys*

Choreographer
Shannon Burns*

Set/Props Designer
Cosette Mangas

Costume Designer
James Stibilj

Lighting Designer
Daniel Story

Sound Designer
Cameron Russell

Sound System Designer
Amy Norton

Voice Coach
Simon Masterton**

Assistant Directors
Kurtis Laing
Rosa Campagnaro

Production Stage Manager
Chris Milburn

Deputy Stage Manager
Naomi O'Connor

Assistant Stage Managers
Chaii Ki Chapman
Taylah Crouch

Construction Manager
Maxime Armand

Costume Supervisors
Delan Woods
Natalie De Palo

Properties Supervisor
Gaia Stein

Head Electrician
Topaz Marlay-Cole

Costume Makers
Jaspa Frankish
Sam Hernandez
Kit Moore
Imahn Pholi
Danielle Schache

Properties Makers
Ari Gilbert
Tanne Patterson

Sets Assistant
Michael Fisher

Set/Props Asst. Designer
Ella Wilkinson

Costume Asst. Designer
Bronte Hunt

Costume Assistants
Raphaela Kuhn
Siann Lau
Jessica Marshall

Properties Assistants
Oliver Gregg
Connor Newman
Lauren Ward

Floor Electrician
Emma Clulow

Microphone Technician
Finlay Hogan

Microphone Technician
Guinevere Fisher

Technical Assistants
Thomas Howieson
Amelie McCarthy
Matt Phillips
Tung Son Tran Tat Thang


* = Guest
** = Staff