Is It Really Good? Sir, It's Too good, At Least.

Sweeney Todd - Schlossfestspiele Ettlingen, 2nd August, 2013

Again, better very late than never.... ;-)

After the disastrous production of Sweeney Todd in Hildesheim (read >> here about it plus the show in general and the Chichester/London production) last season I  was not keen on seeing another Germany production of it so so soon but when the first reviews came in including from sources I often/regularly agree with I thought I gave it a shot.

Luckily as I did have a month train pass so going rather spontaneously did not not turn into an expensive but certainly worthwhile trip to Karlsruhe/Ettlingen (and beyond that weekend as I combined it with a long weekend trip all the way to the stunning Ticino ;-) ) and I was reminded again why I adore this piece of musical history so much.

Already when you enter the castle's courtyard where the festival takes place and walk to your seat you are hit by this massive dark/black wooden set to be a house front in which the various scenes take place in different sections of the set (by Steven Koop, also in charge of costumes) with doors/windows opening for it with what is hidden behind them never being overloaded, but just the odd bright touch and accentuation here and there to underline and never to take over the show unlike in Hildesheim's production.  

Cast: 
Fernand Delosch - Sweeney Todd
Gudrun Schade - Mrs. Lovett
Jon Geoffrey Goldsworthy - Judge Turpin
Sabine Schwarzlose - Beggar Woman
Nikolaj Alexander Brucker - Anthony
Madleine Haipt - Johanna
Sascha Nikolic - Pirelli
Thomas Schirano - Beadle Bamford
Denis M. Rudisch - Tobias
Ensemble:
Florian Claus, Julia Dietsch, Mathias Förster, Oliver Heim, Robert Meyer, Maria Mucha, Caroline Ruthig, Marc Schlapp, Wiebke Wötzel

Udo Schürmer proved that it does not need much but a top notch cast whatever part they play, a simple but potent set (including costumes, lighting (which was so spot on with some, as it seemed but most probably there is a lot more to it, most simplest light effect and utilising the set and the background of the castle perfectly as even an alternate for real fake blood etc.) and an excellent orchestra under the guidance of an experienced creative team to bring a most perfect production on stage.

The musical speaks for itself with the well written clever book, the complex and intelligent music and the two so perfectly interlooped - and the director recognising this unlike the TfN production's director focusing on the substance with the odd change and shortening and not the outer shell being fascinating from the first moment and managing to keep that high level up throughout the whole show with telling the story, but also underlining the humorous bits as some of Mrs Lovett's scenes without ever making them ridiculous.

Also the staging was convincing with the set being totally utilised for the various scenes with the scene changes ever stopping the show from flowing and creating such special atmospheric moments and scenes as when Sweeney Todd kills his first victims adding even some subtle humour to it that is not taking the focus away (unlike in Hildesheim ;-) ) from what is important. 

But any direction would be no good as the props to work with especially as a friend of mine recently called them the talking walking props ;-) - the actors:

The casting of Fernand Delosch as Sweeney Todd sounded a bit weird when I learnt of it a couple of months ago having seen him in other shows before and I just could not picture him in that part but as much as it sounded wrong I was wrong. 

While at the beginning he sounded a bit insecure stumbling over the odd word during "No Place Like London" he got over that quickly not only managing vocally the score technically of excellent standard but also his portrayal was such a delight to watch showing such a complex but simple at the same time character study going from an angry man when he learns what happened to his wife and child to utter rage and madness when he follows the path of revenge that I cannot help but not being able to take my eyes off him whenever he is on stage worrying that I may miss something small but so important to his performance - totally enthralling, haunting and mesmerising - just as his looks when he e.g. is reunited with his friends. 

Gudrun Schade at his side as Mrs Lovett was just as congenial. Vocally I thought she sounded a bit too weak next to Fernand which surprised me knowing how powerful she can actually sound like (but maybe she was having a slight cold or so) but her Mrs Lovett was so entertainingly cynical and witty.
She may not have the perfect comic timing Imelda Staunton has and still being THE Mrs Lovett for me, but with the focus being a lot more on sharp tongue and brisk clever cynicism that worked also so tremendously. 

With such two strong protagonists as Sweeney Todd and Mrs Lovett the smaller parts and the ensemble did not have any easy job but also took up that challenge and accomplished it - all of them. 

Rarely I have seen such a perfectly cast show, from the two leads, to the smaller roles to the ensemble to the handful extras. 

Nikolaj Alexander Brucker as Anthony was a bit too manly for my taste, after all he is a young sailor, usually described as late teens, early twenties, and Nikolaj can neither hide in his appearance nor his voice that he is a grown up strong man and his, while certainly technically spot on singing, felt too strong and overpowering and too dark first.
But his play was one of a young man falling totally head over heels for a young girl most probably for the first time in his life and having to go through such a development growing up and taking over responsibility in such a short time to rescue the love of his life so convincingly that he makes you  care about him and his destiny.

Madeleine Haipt as his love interest Johanna is adorable. Normally that casting bugs me massively but she added with her warm clear soprano voice sounding even in the higher ranges never shrill but with strength and her lively play has touches to character not seen before, especially once Johanna is rescued from the asylum shows so convincingly how she has grown and is not resigning. Beautiful.

Jon Geoffrey Goldsworthy as judge Turpin convinces with his very expressive and apposite play - profound, radical and iniquitous but also coaxing and ostentatious supported well by a well mastered voice. 
At his side Thomas Schirano as Beadle Bamford delivers a concise and consistent performance being so wonderfully slimy and smug, such a deliciously dislikable character and he is vocally properly cast unlike in Hildesheim so listening to him is a treasure. 

Sascha Nikolic as Pirelli is hilarious making the best out of his short  life on stage until his passing through Todd's friends and Denis M. Rudisch as the simple minded Tobias is adorable and sweet at the beginning and disturbing when Tobias realises what has happened and is happening around him and him becoming kinda loony.

Sabine Schwarzlose's Beggar Woman is not a total nutcase as in Hildesheim and works a lot better too as pretty much the whole production. Yes, she is deranged but she plays the changes from moments of sound mind to total "berserk-ness" with so much detail that a usually grotesque character has suddenly a much stronger tragic side. 

The ensemble, often functioning as some kind of greek chorus, are also adding to the quality to the show. There is not a weak link for me, each providing something unique to the little bits and pieces they are covering in the show.
I was especially pleased to see the wonderful Wiebke Wötzel and the handsome Marc Schlapp, both so talented, again on stage but then the others as Robert Meyer and Florian Claus, both performers I have seen plenty of times before, were also a delight to watch and listen to.

The orchestration (musical director Jürgen Voigt) also sounded perfectly.
While maybe not so full the focus was on underlining the sharpness and variety (including the quick changes, even within one musical number - one reason why I adore the music in Sweeney Todd as it is not a homogeneous mass as e.g. Frank Wildhorn music)  in the musical score and also never drowning out the vocals (sound has never been a problem at the open air shows in Ettlingen having seen other productions before, so it is possible to have a satisfying sound system).

Overall was Sweeney Todd in Ettlingen the highlight of the musical open air summer (not that I saw that many open air shows this year as I did not fancy many shows) with just everything from A - Z working and me realising that there is still GOOD musical theatre to be seen in this country.