Barber's mad revenge 'Sweeney Todd' ... 'To feel catharsis'

▲This photo, provided by OD Company, shows the practice scene of 'Sweeney Todd.' (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲This photo, provided by OD Company, shows the practice scene of 'Sweeney Todd.' (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲This photo, provided by OD Company, shows the character poster of musical 'Sweeney Todd.' (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, December 7 (Yonhap) -- A barber shop in 19th century England.

Customers who enter the shop lean back in their chairs, close their eyes, with a white cape around their neck and shaving cream on their chin.

Not knowing that the razor in the hands of Sweeney Todd, the barber standing behind, was giving a murderous look.

Master of musical music Stephen Sondhei's representative musical "Sweeney Todd" will return to stage for the first time in three years and meet their audience.

Sweeney Todd, which premiered on December 1 at the Charlotte Theater in Songpa-gu, Seoul on December 1 is a thriller musical depicting the story of barber Benjamin Barker, who changed his name to Sweeney Todd to take cruel revenge towards the world after losing his wife and daughter

Shin Chun-soo, CEO of OD Company who have been producing Sweeney Todd since 2016 in Korea said during the press conference held at the Charlotte Theater on December 6, "This is a high quality musical with immersive characters and diverse interpretations."

The story unfolds following Sweeney Todd, who lost his beautiful daughter Johanna to the greedy judge Turpin, and who had to spend time in the prison for no reason.

As his plan to kill Judge Turpin fails, he could not tolerate his anger and he kills every customers who visits his barber shop and supplies the dead bodies as "ingredients" to Mrs.Lovett's pie shop located right under the barber shop.

This black comedy satirizing the irrationality of the time which cruel story completes as it meets Sondhei's music with unique melodies and beats.

Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett, who committed their first murder, plan to make a pie out of human flesh in the future, and list "politician's belly fat pie, which is a delicacy during the election period, and a lawyer's pie with the best taste of chewing."

The conversation between Mrs. Lovett who is excited, and Sweeney Todd who is mad due his anger shows irregular pitch and melody, and makes the cruelness and the comedy stand out.

Kang Pil-suk who is playing Sweeney Todd explained, "It took me around a month to get used to the music as it as has very impulsive pitch and melody," "after getting used to the songs, I realized that the music makes the musical so much better when it goes well with the drama."

Shin Sung-rok who is playing Sweedney Todd for the first time along with Kang Pil-suk said, "I think the audience will be able to feel catharsis while watching actors being able to perform these hard songs."

In this season's performance, Jeon Mi-do, who won the best actress award at the Korea Musical Awards in 2016, will be playing the same role for the first time in six years.

Jeon Mi-do said, "Mrs. Lovett is someone who is able express all the joys and sorrows in the drama," adding, "I always missed it because it was fun as much as it was difficult."


(This article is translated from Korean to English by Dowon Kim.)


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