Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1411841
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 19 SEPTEMBER 2021 4 THEATRE Teatru Manoel's first ever in-house musical is Sweeney Todd FOLLOWING the success of the annual Opera, the Valletta Baroque Festival and ample oth- er inhouse-produced produc- tions, Teatru Manoel is taking on a new challenge to produce its very own Musical. Coming in July 2022, Teatru Manoel will be presenting a full-fledged version of Stephen Sondheim's 'Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber on Fleet Street'. The infamous tale of Sweeney Todd set in Victorian London, follows an unjustly accused barber, seeking vengeance against the corrupt judge who framed him. His journey leads him to Mrs. Lovett, the pro- prietress of a failing pie shop. Todd opens his new barber practice above her shop, where he develops his thirst for blood, and inspires Mrs. Lovett with an idea for her latest meat pie. The recipe has people lining up outside her shop door. Bringing this musical to life will not be a piece of pie... erm cake! It will involve a complex set, fancy Victorian costumes, but more importantly around 27 musicians and 20 per- formers on stage. To give this world-famous production a 'fresh cut' and help bring Fleet Street to life, the Theatre has teamed up with Director Lu- cienne Camilleri and Musical Director Ryan Paul Abela. "Sondheim has a certain aura and charm that keeps directors on their toes - this one is cer- tainly no exception," said di- rector Mrs Lucienne Camilleri (Director - 'The Addams Fam- ily: A New Musical, Arthaus 2020). Mr Ryan Paul Abela added, "Stephen Sondheim is a composer's composer, his at- tention to detail both lyrically and musically is truly astound- ing. Sweeney Todd is blody, gory, dramatic… Well, it's right up my alley! It will be a fantas- tic challenge to conduct it." While Teatru Manoel has pre- viously hosted musicals on its historical stage, Sweeney Todd will be the first ever musical produced by the theatre itself. Apart from the annual opera, this is the first time that Teatru Manoel is taking on a project of this grandeur. Teatru Ma- noel's CEO, Mr Massimo Zam- mit said, "Following a closure of six months due to the pan- demic and ongoing refurbish- ment and construction works, we are eager to welcome back audiences and return the The- atre to the people. Musicals are well-loved locally, and we feel that Sweeney Todd will offer a challenge to both performers and musicians, offering a high- ly entertaining evening to our patrons." And what's a musical with- out a brilliant cast? For this reason, Teatru Manoel will begin its search for Sweeney, Mrs. Lovett and other charac- ters over the weekend of the 9th and 10th of October 2021. Those interested in auditioning are encouraged to visit www. teatrumanoel.com.mt for more information and to a apply by sending an email to info@tea- trumanoel.org.mt. Left to right: Massimo Zammi Lucienne Camilleri and Ryan Paul Abela Johnny Depp played Sweeney Todd in the movie version of the musical back in 2007