Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at Debut Theatre Company

From the Director: One might say Sweeney Todd is a tale as old as time. The original character was first recorded in the 1846 magazine story, “The String of Pearls,” and has become a staple in iconic horror history ever since, inspiring countless adaptations of the “Demon Barber of Fleet Street.” However, Sweeney is more than a tale about a bloodthirsty barber teaming up with an equally delectable partner in crime. What lies at the heart of this story is the cycle of violence that revenge and trauma can ignite in us all. We don’t just know Sweeney Todd from the infamous tales he’s featured in. We know Sweeney Todd, because there’s a Sweeney inside us all. We all have the capability of being consumed by grief and anger when we’re met with adversity. It’s what we choose to do with that ache that truly separates us from our inner Sweeney Todd. When we are met with challenges, will we choose light to guide us through? Or will we succumb to the darkness?
While this story is often looked at as a cautionary tale, we’d like to challenge your perception of the way in which it is told today. Despite the prominent themes of abuses of power in class-based societies throughout Sweeney Todd, oftentimes society’s most vulnerable members are marginalized in the storytelling process of this tale. For this reason, you won’t be watching the performance through the lens of the upper echelons of London. You’ll be experiencing the tale from the lens of those so forgotten by history, all that remains of their lived experience is found in myth. Today, the inmates of the infamous Bethlem Royal Hospital (more commonly known as Bedlam) will be your guide through the world of Sweeney Todd.

MacLean Blanner, University of Southern California, School of Dramatic Arts

Witness the beautiful talents and perspective presented by this cast and crew (of college and high school aged young people) as they pay homage to one of Sondheim's greatest pieces. Sweeney Todd is our Annual Acting Against Cancer production and one-hundred percent of our profits go to cancer research. We are a non-profit organization and have donated to St. Jude, Pedal the Cause and this year will donate directly to Siteman Cancer Center in St. Louis.