Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - Sale and Altrincham Musical Theatre

I KNEW what was coming, having seen this iconic show several times.

But the premise behind Sweeney Todd still fascinates me and I had to stifle a laugh when a lady sitting a few rows behind me said “It’s a bit weird, isn’t it?,” when the interval came and the wheels on Todd and Mrs Lovett’s murderous enterprise had been set in motion.

Sale and Altrincham Musical Theatre serve up a sumptuous theatrical feast here. Talented and engaging and highly accomplished leads make the most of lyrics that drip with wit and crackle with the emotion.

It’s hard for us critics to fully convey just how good the work pf this composer is, turning to our tried and trusted stock of superlatives. Musicals this good simply must be experienced. Sondheim simply has a different way of telling a story. Or to put it simply, the man’s unique.

Richard Ross and Steph Niland are devilishly irresistible as Sweeney Todd and Mrs Lovett and Sasha Carirllo and Connor Ryan are outstanding as Todd’s estranged daughter, Johanna and her captivated admirer, Anthony. If you’re seeing this for the first time I guarantee you’ll be wanting these two bright young things to get together, largely so poor Joanna can escape the romantic attentions of the seedy Judge Turpin, played so well by Jon Gardner.

Musical director Peter England, choreographer James Goodwin and director Martyn Preston have a sure fire hit on their hands, with SAMT yet again, re-defining what amateur musical theatre is all about.

The intimate auditorium of the Robert Bolt Theatre lends itself perfectly to conveying an unsettling gas lit world in which the haves and the have nots live side by side. But it’s the haves who do all the living.

The character of Beggar Woman, played perfectly by Emma Johnson is a classic case in point. This is a character fighting to survive, at the mercy of a society that simply doesn’t know how to care yet. Johnson made a huge impression on me even though she’s on stage a relatively short amount of time.

A sell out run - productions of this quality deserve nothing less.

Until October 21 at Sale’s Waterside Arts Centre.

Star rating - 4.5 out of 5.

Tickets are available from samtheatre.co.uk.

Photo - Derek Stuart Cole.