God that's good! Pie-shop Sweeney breaks record
The Tooting Arts Club production of Sweeney Todd – which began life in an actual pie shop in south London – has broken the record for the show's longest run. Yesterday (20 June) it enjoyed its 558th production at the Barrow Street Theatre in New York, where it transferred from London in February 2017. This beats Hal Prince's original in 1979, which ran at the Uris (now Gershwin) Theatre for 557 performances (and 19 previews).
The immersive, candlelit show is directed by Bill Buckhurst and produced by Rachel Edwards of the Tooting Arts Club. It first opened at Harrington's pie shop in Selkirk Road, Tooting, in October 2014, with Jeremy Secomb and Siobhan McCarthy as Todd and Lovett. After Sondheim paid a visit, he raved about the production to Cameron Mackintosh, who arranged a short-term transfer to a pop-up recreation of Harrington's in the West End in March 2015. It then hopped the pond, opening off-Broadway in the Barrow Street Theatre on 1 March 2017 (following previews from 14 February).
The current cast includes two excellent leads in the form of Thom Sesma as Sweeney and Sally Ann Triplett as Mrs Lovett. It's scheduled to close on 26 August this year, so if you've not seen it, catch it while you can. The Stephen Sondheim Society can also endorse the delicious offerings of former White House pastry chef Bill Yosses – the production's official pie-maker! Get booking!
See below our slideshow of photos from a recent trip to Barrow Street
