A Note About Casting:
London is one of the most diverse cities in the world.
Historically, productions of Sweeney Todd have whitewashed this fact. This production
of Sweeney Todd is looking to cast an inclusive and diverse company of
actors who reflect the world we live in today. The characters as written
are on the binary and are written with he/him or she/her pronouns,
which you will see in the following descriptions. But however limiting
the descriptions are, our casting seeks to be as inclusive as possible
and we invite gender non-conforming, genderqueer, transgender and
non-binary actors to audition for the roles they most identify with.We
are seeking all races and ethnicities and actors with disabilities as
well as non-disabled actors for all roles. Please let us know if you
have any questions, concerns, or if there are any accommodations we can
provide.
A Note About Accents: Accents
listed are not expected at auditions, will be expected to be attempted
at callbacks. and will be worked on throughout the rehearsal process.
Roles: Sweeney Todd 30-50 Sweeney
escaped from prison after being wrongfully accused and jailed for
fifteen years. Formerly a proud barber, a loving husband and a happy
father, Sweeney is now consumed by loss and revenge. He has returned to
London to right the wrongs committed against him, his wife, and his
daughter. Sweeney is charming but hot-tempered, ferocious yet
vulnerable. Speaks with an Estuary or London dialect. F2-Gb4
Mrs. Lovett 30-50 An
entrepreneurial meat pie shop owner who will do whatever it takes to
survive. She is in love with Todd and hopes that he’ll forget the past
and build a new life with her. At first shocked by Sweeney’s bursts of
violence, Lovett turns his desire for revenge into a profitable business
venture. She is resourceful, ambitious, charismatic, and has great
comedic timing. Mezzo with belt. Speaks with a Cockney accent. G3 -E5
Anthony Hope 20-30 A
youthful sailor who helps Sweeney return to London and unexpectedly
falls in love with Johanna. He is idealistic, romantic and a little
reckless. His passions sometimes get the better of his reason and his
enthusiasm sometimes makes him unintentionally comedic. Over the course
of the show he awakens to the horrors around him and becomes
disillusioned with London. Tenor. Speaks with a standard British accent.
Bb2 -F4
Johanna 18-25 Todd’s long-lost daughter and
Judge Turpin’s young ward. Homeschooled and largely homebound. She has a
rebellious, subversive and romantic streak and longs to escape her
confinement. Johanna is aware that Judge Turpin isn’t her real father
and suspects that he might be a predator. Like her father, she has
experienced trauma and possesses a buried capacity for violence.
Although described as “pale” and “yellow haired,” we are not taking this
literally. Soprano. Speaks with a standard British accent Bb3 – A5.
Tobias Ragg 18-25 A
poor youngster apprenticed first to Pirelli and then to Mrs Lovett. He
is industrious and eager to please, with a good sense of humor.
Uneducated, but innately clever and observant, Tobias responds quickly
to the kindness of Lovett but grows increasingly suspicious of Sweeney.
After a betrayal, Toby experiences the violence and terror of this world
and snaps. Or maybe he just becomes like everyone else. Tenor. Speaks
with a Cockney accent. Bb2 – Ab4
Judge Turpin 40-60 A
lecherous public official who portrays himself as a sanctimonious
authoritarian. He takes advantage of his position to imprison Todd,
assault Lucy, and take Johanna in as his ward. He is aware that what he
wants and what he’s done is wrong, yet chooses to ignore or push against
his conscience. Embodies Puritanitcal hypocrisy: he lusts after
Johanna, even as he professes to keep her innocent. Bass/baritone.
Speaks with a standard British accent. E2-Gb4
Beadle Bamford 30-50 A
pompous public official who is responsible for the health and safety of
London. He possesses a dry, deadpan sense of humor and enjoys wielding
his power. He is not a snivelling civil servant. He is deeply loyal to
Turpin, though in his heart of hearts he believes he’s better than the
judge. The Beadle loves singing children’s nursery rhymes, which remind
him of his youth. Tenor with a strong falsetto. Speaks with a standard
British accent. D3-D5
Beggar Woman/Lucy Barker 30-50 An
eerie, poor soul living on the streets of London. She supports herself
by begging and prostituting herself to sailors. The Beggar Woman is
Sweeney’s wife, Lucy, who lost her mind after being assaulted by Turpin
and taking poison. She has occasional flashes of lucidity and distrusts
Mrs. Lovett. Like the oracle Cassandra, She is the only one who sees
what’s happening but no one will listen to her. Mezzo. Speaks with a
Cockney or Estuary. Accent. Ab3 -F5
Adolfo Pirelli 30-50 An
Irish former employee of Sweeney’s who has since developed a public
persona as a flamboyant and flashy world-famous Italian barber. A
charlatan who sells fake medicine and challenges other barbers to
shaving contests. Pirelli is charming, calculating, and over-the-top
comedic. Possess some anti-English sentiments and does not take lightly
to being publicly embarrassed by Sweeney. High tenor/Alto. Speaks in
both an Italian and Irish. Accent. B2-C5
Jonas Fogg 25-50 The
owner of Fogg’s Asylum. Fogg sells the hair of inmates to wigmakers.
Considers the inmates “children” and takes pleasure in showing them off
to visitors. Chooses to ignore the human rights of his patients in the
name of scientific progress. An authoritarian who is really a coward at
heart.. Speaks with an Estuary dialect. A2-E4
