Sweeney Todd

Sweeney Todd is a musical play with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by Hugh Wheeler. It is based on the 1973 play of the same name by Christopher Bond. The character of Sweeney Todd first appeared in a Victorian penny dreadful titled The String of Pearls (1846-7).

Sweeney Todd opened on Broadway in 1979 and in the West End in 1980. It won the Tony Award for Best Musical and Olivier Award for Best New Musical. It has been revived in many productions as well as inspiring a film adaptation.

The play follows the character of Benjamin Barker under his new alias of Sweeney Todd, the demon barber of Fleet Street. The story follows him through his dark plot to gain revenge on Judge Turpin who ruined his earlier years of life, tearing his family apart.