God That's Good: South London Youth Theatre's Sweeney Todd

The 10-day rehearsal period for the South London Youth Theatre (SLYT) production of Sweeney Todd came to an end yesterday, with the 20-strong cast hearing the orchestra for the first time during the sitzprobe.

The morning was spent with Musical Director Joe Hood and his 10-piece orchestra running the show from top to bottom, before the performers donned their costumes for a technical rehearsal in the afternoon.

In attendance from The Stephen Sondheim Society was Chair Craig Glenday and Sondheim The Magazine Editor David Lardi.

"It's incredible to think that these kids have had just 10 working days to pull together an entire, full-scale production of Sweeney Todd," said Craig. "The strength and maturity of the performances is breathtaking, and even in the tech – their first time on the stage with props, costume, lighting and so forth – the whole thing looks and sounds spectacular. The final production is going to be a real thrill."

The Society has worked with SLYT's Artistic Director Spencer James to fund places for four young performers on the two-week workshop in South London. Sondheim has always talked about the importance of education and encouraging youngsters to take part in musical theatre, and the Society is proud to be helping fund this production and give youngsters who might not otherwise be able to participate the chance to be part of a fully staged musical.

This evening, the group will show off the fruits of their labours in a one-off performance at the Prissian Theatre in James Allen's Girls' School in Dulwich. For more information, visit SLYT.co.uk.