Dear Liz

 

‘SWEENEY TODD’

 

Just a brief line to thank you for the invitation to see ‘Sweeney Todd’ at the Mercury Theatre.

 

It was without doubt one of the very best productions I’ve seen by a NODA society, and as I said to Norman and some of your cast and crew, it really was a great advertisement for amateur theatre.

 

It is so encouraging to see so many different elements coming together, from the quality of all the performances to the dexterity of the musicians, and of course the excellent direction and attention to detail of all the technical crew. You and your society should be very proud of what you achieved, and I hope that the feedback from other members of the audience has been equally positive.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit, and again with thanks to you, your committee, and front of house team, and above all, to all the members of Colchester Operatic Society for an enthralling evening of Sondheim.

 

 

Tony Gibbs

Chief Executive

To Mike Spurgeon,  Chairman Colchester Operatic Society 

3rd February 2011

 

Dear Mike,

I saw the present production of Sweeney Todd on Tuesday evening, and I would be obliged if you would post this on a notice board where it can be seen by members of the company.

As NODA Councillor I get to see around 80 shows a year in East Anglia as I have done since 2005/6, and I can tell you without reservation that this production is the best that I have seen in that period, and I mean that in the overall sense. As far as Colchester is concerned I have no doubt that it is the best I have been in/seen since I became a member in1969.

This was a cast to wish for, with principals diction, voices and actions right in line to express the brittle mood that would not let go of the audience. Chorus too were great and with that very important

element in a Sondheim Show, that of clearly understood diction. As for set, lighting, costume and sound, it all gelled to a very high degree of competence and in effect.

Great work by Musical Director orchestra and company, very smoothly run by yourself as stage Director and top notch direction from Dani. .

On my travels I see many good shows; what I saw on Tuesday was a production of an excellence seldom reached by amateur companies.

Many congratulations to you all.

Best Wishes

 

 

John Warburton

Councillor NODA East

COLCHESTER OPERATIC SOCIETYSWEENEY TODD

Director Dani Fincham

Musical Director Neil Somerville

Performed at the Mercury Theatre  3^rd February 2011

One of the most professional productions I have seen from this multi talented society and enjoyed very much from the appreciative audience who like myself were totally engrossed throughout the entire performance.

The complexity of Sondheim’s score was wonderfully captured under the very talented Musical Director Neil Somerville.

The chorus numbers which were so demanding seemed effortless and the balance of voices with a nine piece band was excellent.

The entire cast were so totally believable whether in principal characters smaller roles or chorus which made this a “stand out” production.

Mark Fincham as Sweeney was truly a scary man with superb facial expressions and with a great feel for the part, well sung as well and together with Melanie Greaney as Mrs Lovett” the pie lady”gave the show a tremendous boost.

Melanie as Mrs Lovett was both funny and yet she seemed to have great sympathy for Sweeney who very quickly got her involved in his gruesome scheming.

The songs”A Little Priest” and “ By the Sea” were superbly performed and every bit of humour came across with Melanie’s very expressive eyes.These two characters gave great performances.

David King as Judge Turpin had the stance and stature to confirm his position in society but the darker side was also played to the full.Well played.

Shane King as Anthony the suitor of Johanna was in terrific voice as was Phil Young as Tobias.Their respective solo’s were beautifully delivered with great emotion.

Ben Adams as Beadle Bamford gave a good interpretation to his part and great interplay with the Judge.

Graham Bowden’s Pirelli was a study as an Italian Hairdresser/Hair Advisor.I loved the costume and wig.Graham’s top notes were effortless.Sadly he met his end quite early in the show so we did not hear more of them.

Hannah Shayle-Kennedy as Johanna looked so sweet and gentle and sung like a nightingale a- lovely high soprano.

Caroline Fritz made a furtive beggar Woman and really flew round the stage with great speed in her quest seeking alms.The lullaby was gentle and well delivered, This character was a very important link in the story, which was revealed sadly later in the second act.

The very imaginative lighting added much to the production especially as Sweeney Todd’s victims met their end.A splendid set which really was a very important feature, supplied by Scenic Projects, and gave the feel of old London so well.

Costumes and sound also so important to get right were brilliant.

This review could well sound as if it was a flawless performance, and it was just that!!

Huge Congratulations to the entire company and everyone involved with this production.It should go down in Colchester Operatic’s history as one of the great’s I am sure.

Also to Dani and Neil,obviously a great team in all the extensive work they must have put in to get the standard, which was terrific.

Colchester Operatic Society are very fortunate to have their talents to use.

Many thanks also to the really enjoyable hospitality offered to us as always when we visit.This time I was pleased to accompany Tony Gibbs Chief Executive of NODA who I am sure was very impressed with the production and enjoyed his visit to Colchester.

PERFORMANCES A CUT ABOVE

Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Mercury Theatre, Colchester. Society’s ambitious attempt at Sweeney Todd pays off

BY WILL HOOPER

SWEENEY Todd is a theatrical masterpiece written by a theatrical master.

It is the often told tale of cut-throat razors and hot pies, with dubious fillings. Stephen Sondheim’s musical version, first staged in 1979, pushes the drama up several notches, and hopefully will continue to be performed as long as theatres exist.

This was an ambitious choice for Colchester Operatic Society, branching into the Sondheim repertoire for the first time.

But musical director Neil Somerville was equal to his task, his orchestra creating a strong accompaniment that drove the show forward at a rate of knots. Director Dani Fincham used traditional set and costumes, as well as a gauze curtain, and varied lighting with sinister shadows, to help create a fitting atmosphere.

As the barber bent on revenge, Mark Fincham acted and sang with conviction, and coped with the mechanics of the accursed barber’s chair with composure.

Melanie Greaney, as his youthful, pie-making partner in crime, created a fun, colourful character, and visibly grew in confidence as the evening progressed.

While Shane King and Hannah Shayle-Kennedy gave strong, honest and moving performances as Anthony and Johanna.

Last, but by no means least, Caroline Fritz displayed her range as the beggar woman, and Graham Bowden put in an amusing cameo as Pirelli.

 

Sweeney Todd tells us in song at once that when he polishes ‘em off they go to their maker impeccably shaved – and impeccable is the word for this show. It grabs you by the throat right at the start, if you’ll pardon the pun, and never lets you go.Colchester Operatic have taken hold of this difficult semi-operatic piece with the ease of a professional company and produced as accomplished an amateur musical as I’ve seen in a long time.

It’s a score that encompasses delightful melodies and melodrama, tongue-twisting, quick-fire lyrics and slices of wonderful humour – and all the principals and the large chorus hit every note perfectly on cue right from the start.

The production is a triumph for musical director Neil Somerville who seizes our imaginations with clever regularity. He opens with deep, discordant organ chords which fill us with foreboding as we view the brilliantly seedy 19th Century London set and his powerful orchestra sweeps us along into the action.

And the cast is very well chosen, with a particularly good Sweeney Todd and Mrs Lovett. When Mark Fincham’s white-faced, crazed-eyed Sweeney sings and caresses his ‘friends’, his long-lost cut-throat razors, we know he means business and each victim is dispatched in a halo of blood-red light into the oven where Nellie Lovett turns them into the pies that London can’t get enough of.

Melanie Greaney’s Nellie is a priceless concoction of cunning wickedness and good humour. Her song, A Little Priest, in which she describes the different fillings in her hot-sellers – including real shepherd in the shepherd’s pie – is a delicious bit of delivery and very funny.

As the story of Todd’s revenge on the evil Judge Turpin, who stole the barber’s lovely wife and child and sent him to Botany Bay on a trumped-up charge, unfolds, there’s some very nice singing from Shane King as Anthony (Kiss Me), David King as Judge Turpin (Pretty Women), Phil Young as Tobias (Not While I’m Around), Ben Adams as Beadle Bamford (Sweet Polly Plunket), Hannah Shayle-Kennedy as Joanna and Caroline Fritz as the beggar woman.

David Henshall.

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