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(...) Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd is completely dominated by the demon barber of Fleet Street - especially when Bryn Terfel is wielding the razor. Terfel snarls, spits and curses so magnificently in David Freeman's vivid semi-staged production at the Royal Festival Hall that you felt sorry for the rest of the cast, who, with the exception of the hilarious Maria Friedman as Mrs Lovett, pale against him.
Without scenery, and only rudimentary costumes, the singing becomes everything, which is no problem for Terfel but exposes some of the others. Conductor Stephen Barlow is far over on one side of the stage with his players from the London Philharmonic, which sometimes leads to ensemble problems. Even Terfel's lower register can disappear beneath the brass section.
Still, there is much to enjoy here. Sondheim's hypnotic score has some truly great numbers: Mrs Lovett's 'By the Sea', for instance. Also, his fabulously inventive lyrics, which get every laugh possible out of the macabre story of injustice, greed, love and - of course - body after body turned into pies. As Mrs Lovett would say: 'Bless my eyes, more supplies!'
© Guardian Newspapers Limited
