Iconic Musical Thriller SWEENEY TODD to Play Pieter Toerien's Montecasino Theatre

Pieter Toerien's Montecasino Theatre will play host to Steven Stead's production of SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET, Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler's musical thriller, which first premiered on Broadway in 1979. This production originated under Stead and Greg King's award-winning KickstArt banner in August last year, with King designing the production, a duty he repeats here. Rowan Bakker will serve as musical director, with Neil Stuart Harris handling the costume designs and Tina le Roux designing the lighting.

SWEENEY TODD It tells the outlandish tale of urban legend, Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, who famously murdered his clients in his barber chair, whereafter his neighbour, and partner in crime, Nellie Lovett, turned them into much sought after meat pies. Set in 19th century England, SWEENEY TODD looks at what drives a man to this sort of extreme revenge and obsession, and considers what tragedy lies in his dark and mysterious past. This gripping musical features one of the greatest musical theatre scores ever written, with classic songs like "Pretty Women", "Johanna", "Not While I'm Around", "By the Sea", "A Little Priest" and "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" featured in the score.

This production of SWEENEY TODD features an all-star South African cast headed up by Jonathan Roxmouth and Charon Williams-Ros. Appearing alongside them are Candice van Litsenborgh, Michael Richard, Jaco van Rensburg, Anne Marie Clulow, Adam Pelkowitz, Luciano Zuppa, Wesley Swain Lauder, Cameron Botha, Pauline du Plessis, Sanli Jooste, Claire Simonis, Megan Rigby, Schoeman Smit and Earl Gregory.

SWEENEY TODD won both the eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, in its orginal production, also winning the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical for the original London production the following year. A major motion picture by Tim Burton, starring Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham-Carter, Alan Rickman and Sacha Baron Cohen, followed numerous international productions, including South African mountings of the piece in 1982 (with Grethe Fox with Richard Haines under the direction of Robert Whitehead) and in 1989 (in a production directed by Geoffrey Sutherland).

Featuring sublime theatrics, a thrilling and chilling story, suspense, passion and deliciously dark humour, it doesn't get any better than SWEENEY TODD! The season runs from 9 October - 29 November, with performances from Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8pm, with 4pm matinees on Saturdays and 3pm matinees on Sundays. Johannesburg audiences are urged to book early for this ultimate musical theatre experience, with tickets ranging from R100 - R350 available through Computicket.

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