Sweeney Todd sneak peek.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd.
00:06He served a duck and a vegetable god.
00:11What happened then? Well, that's the play.
00:14It even lodged a human being.
00:17Not Sweeney.
00:21Not Sweeney Todd.
00:25They dreamed of refuse.
00:28Street.
00:31Could you just introduce yourself please?
00:33I'm Ronan Cassidy. I'm 20 years old from Kelly Clougher.
00:37And can you tell me what character you're playing in this show?
00:40I'm playing Sweeney Todd, the title character.
00:42And can you tell me about what kind of mindset you feel when you play such a dark character?
00:47Um, well, what I try and do is just, you know, think of the storyline
00:53and think about sort of where Sweeney's at at that point in the story.
00:56You know, he comes back to London and is sort of dreaming, you know,
01:00without giving too much away of the story.
01:02He's been sent away on a false charge and he comes back to London
01:05and he's hoping that he'll see his wife and his daughter again.
01:08That ends up not being the case.
01:10So across the course of the show he kind of slowly goes a wee bit,
01:14loses his mind slightly.
01:16But he's quite serious for the first act and then towards the end
01:20he kind of has a wee bit of a mental breakdown.
01:22And then it gets really fun from there.
01:24So, yeah.
01:26Do you enjoy that type of character? Do you enjoy maybe the unraveling and stuff?
01:29Yeah, I think his arc is definitely quite fun to sort of portray.
01:33Going from more sort of solemn and serious and then losing it.
01:38And then having a wee bit of fun.
01:40And can you compare him to some of the characters you've played in the past?
01:43Um, I played Bill Sykes in Oliver.
01:45And then that'll probably be the closest that I've played.
01:50But Bill Sykes was just very angry all the time.
01:53Whereas I feel Sweeney is a wee bit more fun and is a wee bit more comical.
01:58Especially bouncing off Cassie as Mrs Lovett.
02:01There's definitely some big elements of comedy there between the two of them.
02:06If you could describe the character one word, what would you use?
02:10Sigh.
02:15Hmm.
02:17Or I could skip it if you'd like.
02:20Maybe one word's hard to describe such a character.
02:23Because there's so many elements of him.
02:28I could be here all day listening to words.
02:30So I can't actually answer with just one word.
02:34Do you have any pre-show rituals that you do before you get on stage?
02:40Pre-show rituals?
02:42I think for last year when we were doing Footloose.
02:44I learned how to do my own make-up.
02:46So I would always arrive in first to the dressing room.
02:49So I'd put my music on.
02:51Did you do your own make-up?
02:53Yeah, done my own make-up.
02:55So, you know, get into the dressing room.
02:57Play music that has nothing to do with the show.
02:59Which is usually Arctic Monkeys or something.
03:02Just take my mind sort of out of it.
03:04And then put the make-up on, put the costume on.
03:06And then just sort of get into the zone for the show.
03:11What kind of emotions do you want the audience to feel when you're on stage?
03:17I think what's strange about Sweeney is a lot of people will assume that it's quite dark.
03:22And that Sweeney might be the villain.
03:24But through the course of the show you might sort of find yourself rooting for him.
03:29Because his story is quite tragic.
03:33So I kind of want...
03:35Not quite pity, but certainly a lot of empathy towards him.
03:38And then maybe not his actions, but certainly his motives, I suppose.
03:44When you play a dark character like Sweeney and then you want people to do it for the character.
03:48What did you bring to the stage?
03:51Did you maybe swing the audience to the side of someone who is a murderer?
03:56That's a good one.
04:00I think what's sort of brilliant about Sondheim is that even if you don't do anything.
04:06Just through his lyrics and through his music.
04:08He really does play with your emotions.
04:12Obviously through certain acting choices and stuff.
04:15You can get the audience on your side.
04:19Maybe thinking that the more angry side is him wrestling with this grief.
04:26Which is quite a universal emotion that everyone's felt.
04:30So I feel like audiences can empathise with a lot of what he's going through.
04:35Even if they don't know exactly what it is.
04:39Sweeney Todd obviously being the title character of the show.
04:43How does it feel to be playing the name that's on the poster?
04:47It's surreal.
04:49Sweeney Todd's my favourite musical.
04:51I started listening to it when I was maybe 10.
04:54The original Broadway recording with Len Carey and Angela Lansbury was on repeat.
04:59So playing him now is just surreal.
05:03So would that mean that you would take some inspiration from previous shows or the film?
05:07Yeah, definitely.
05:09I've listened to pretty much every cast recording out there.
05:14I just love them all in their own separate ways.
05:17Why should the people of Derry, Stroman and the North come see this show?
05:22Because you're getting the opportunity to see some of the most talented young people from these areas.
05:28From Donegal, MoMA, Stroman and Derry just come together.
05:31Creating a brilliant piece of art and theatre.
05:44What if none of the sorts would save?
05:47They went to their maker with peccary shame.
05:50By Sweeney.
05:53By Sweeney Todd.
05:56Could you introduce yourself please?
05:58I'm Cass McLaughlin and I'm 19 years old and I'm from Stroman.
06:02And how did you get into theatre?
06:04I was in theatre from a really young age.
06:10I started at a theatre school in Strabane probably around the age of 6 or 7.
06:16And then I did my first secondary school show and that's where it all began.
06:21Tell me about some of your first shows.
06:23The first show that was really pivotal for me was Jesus Christ Superstar in Holy Cross College.
06:30It was the first show that I did with our current director for Sweeney and choreographer.
06:36He did the dance for that and it kind of just changed the trajectory of my life.
06:42I was about 13 or 14 at the time and that's where I really fell in love with it.
06:48Tell me about your character in Sweeney Todd.
06:51Mrs Lovett is a character to say the least.
06:55She's very spontaneous, she's quick paced.
07:00She's probably the comedic relief in the show.
07:05I think a lot of the comedy comes from her quick wit.
07:11Can you describe what it's like to get ready for a show that has more of a sinister tone compared to some previous shows you've done?
07:19Well obviously Sondheim, he wrote the musical.
07:25I think I find a lot of my energy and pace from his music, specifically his lyrics and the actual orchestration.
07:33That's where I find things to play with because you have to find the light in it.
07:39You can play into the darker things but I think for me personally I like to find the light in it so that it's not always so serious.
07:48When you're looking for inspiration for your character do you look towards the film or do you look towards past shows?
07:56I would say a bit of both.
07:59Obviously in the film Helena is a lot more naturalistic whereas in the Broadway production Anna Leigh is a lot more high energy.
08:08So I like to give it a bit of a mix.
08:11I'm not just playing this one dimensional character, I want to give her a bit of depth.
08:16Can you talk to me a wee bit about some pre-show virtues that you have before you go on?
08:22I have created a playlist for every show I've done or for every character I have and I put my airpods in when I'm getting ready and I listen to it from start to the end and I don't stop.
08:35Can you name any tracks that are on the current playlist?
08:39On the current playlist there's The Red Means I Love You by Mads Buckley and Me and My Husband by Mitzki.
08:50What kind of feelings do you want the audience members to have when you're on stage?
08:57For me personally I want them to have a moment to breathe.
09:03With Sweeney, the character, he's very intense but whenever I'm on I want them to feel like it's not as serious right now.
09:13We can chill and we can settle into it.
09:16Why should the people of Derry and Strabane come and see the show?
09:20I feel like Ignite as a whole, it's about bringing loads of communities together.
09:27We've got people from Strabane, Derry, Omagh, Castle Derrick all around and I feel like it's a great way to support the arts in the entirety of the North West.
09:58Could you introduce yourself please?
10:00Hi, my name is Ronan Tester, I'm from Derry, I'm 18 years old and I'm playing Anthony.
10:04Can you tell me a little bit about your character?
10:06Anthony is a sailor, he comes in, he's the person that brings Sweeney back from his exile and he comes back to London.
10:17He's a very enamoured character, you can see from his first song, he loves London like it's nowhere else.
10:25And then that carries through for the rest of the show when he meets Joanna and instantly falls in love with her.
10:30And the rest of his show, his objective is just getting this girl.
10:36Can you tell me what it's like playing a character in this show compared to maybe some people's relief films?
10:41Obviously this is kind of more of a darker nature.
10:44It is a show of a darker nature and it's different in comparison to other shows that I've done in the past.
10:50They're a lot more bouncy, more energetic in ways.
10:53But I find through my character, especially through his music, he has, it's very light music, it's very legato, it's very dreamy.
11:04Because he's a love character, it's very dreamy and you can just find, you can sit down with that for some of his songs.
11:13But then some of his other songs, nearly rapping throughout some of the verses, they're really quick and you find a lot of energy through the music.
11:20Do you find that it lends well to yourself as a person? Are you an energetic person?
11:23Yeah, it definitely helps to have that bounciness in general.
11:29Being from Derry, I'm playing on my own form. Can you tell me what it's like to be here in the main building of Artisan for Derry?
11:37It's really cool. It's my first time playing a lead. It's only my second time on the stage as well, which is quite cool.
11:44But we've got a really cool set going through and it's really exciting to bring this show to Derry and to bring in people from all across the North West.
11:54Donna Goss, Siobhan, Omar, everywhere. It brings everybody here and it's a really good way, the Ignite Project's a really good way to showcase a range of talent from across the North West.
12:06Did you say it's your second time playing?
12:08It's only my second time on the forum stage, yeah.
12:10What's that like for you personally?
12:13It's really cool. It's the biggest stage in the North West, really.
12:20Does it mean a lot to you to play on your own time?
12:22It does, yeah. It's really cool.
12:24When you're on stage, what kind of emotions do you want the audience to feel?
12:28I want them to be intrigued. I want them to really look at Anthony, look at his choices and see, look deeper into the character and not just take him for face value.
12:41What do you find intriguing about him?
12:44He's quite interesting because at face value he's very bouncy and lovely but in contrast to his music and his energy, if you look at some of the words that he sings, they're very different. It's going to be very interesting to play in that juxtaposition.
12:59Lastly, why should the people of Derry and Stratham North come and see this show?
13:05Because it showcases the best talent across the North West. It's the biggest project I've done that has drawn people from everywhere across the North West, not just from Derry, not just from Stratham, not just from Noma. It draws in everybody and it showcases the best of the North West.
13:35Can you introduce yourself please?
13:50Yep, so my name is Emmett Stewart and I am the Artistic Director of the Ignite Project and I am the Director and Choreographer for Sweeney Todd.
13:59You've stayed at a number of productions before, Fitless and Path of Mines. Can you tell me what was it that brought you to switch to more of a gothic material?
14:08Yeah, so basically I work as a freelance choreographer all across North from like Donegal all the way over to Belfast. But the Ignite Project is a company that I set up with two other people and we have done Little Shop of Horrors, which we did in the Street of Noma as our first show in 2022.
14:26And then in 2023 we did Fitless in the Forum and after we had kind of done one of the biggest dance musicals that you can do, one of the most fun and energetic shows, we didn't want to be a one trick pony. We're very lucky that we pull from all over the North West, so from Letterkenny to Oma, to Castle Derg, to Stratham, to Derry.
14:47So we have some of the most talented young people around and we want to show that they're not just one trick ponies and we want a well-rounded training. So after you've danced like 17 songs in Fitless, you may as well try and sing a songtime musical, like why not?
15:03What inspired you to work with young people?
15:06So I myself am from Strabane and I grew up doing theatre, but I didn't actually start proper dance classes until I was 18 and I had to travel to Belfast three times a week while doing my A-levels, which was fun. My teachers loved it.
15:22But it was basically just, I had no idea how to get into theatre. I had no idea that it was even an option or accessible to someone like me. It never crossed my mind until I joined a company which unfortunately no longer exists because it had its funding cut, but it's called Music Theatre for Youth and it's basically what I based the Ignite project on.
15:44It brought over West End and international professionals and gave us that extra level of training on top of your weekly classes to try and bridge the gap in opportunities for training between us and people in England who have a lot more opportunities at their door in terms of theatre.
16:01So that's how we set up the Ignite project and I just want to make sure that no one goes in blind the way that I did when I was younger because I had loads of support, but no one had any knowledge. So we're trying to bridge that gap a bit.
16:17And so far we have two alumni members from the Ignite project who have made their West End debut, Clodagh Green and Reinscar Dennis. And Clodagh actually made her West End debut under the direction of one of our guest tutors, Dean Johnson. So whatever we're doing seems to be working so far.
16:34What's the kind of feelings that you have when you see someone who you've worked with go on and do something professional like that?
16:42Oh, I am so proud. I am a big advocate for I'm only a small part of their journey. It's the work that they put in. We can create opportunities for young people, but even them just showing up isn't enough. They have to put in the graft and we can't do that for them.
16:58So although their success is entirely their own, I am so proud that I got to watch them on their journey and it's lovely. Clodagh actually came back and she was our co-assistant for Little Shop and Footlifts, but now she's out in the big bad professional world. She's booked and blessed and too busy to come home, but she's coming home to watch Sweeney Dodd and we all can't wait to see her.
17:20You kind of talked about it earlier, but can you tell me about the importance of funding arts here in the North? We've lost the waters lately.
17:29Arts funding, I feel like it is just so hard to come by and we're very blessed in the kind of Strabanton Derry area, but even as far as Donegal and stuff, there are numerous state schools and youth companies and training programmes and we're all kind of buying through the same funding and there's just not enough of it to go around.
17:50I feel like some people think that the arts is just a fun hobby as opposed to a career path, but you watch films, you listen to music constantly, you watch TV.
18:04Every day you consume so much art, those young people have to start somewhere and I find it a little bit ridiculous that in order to get the level of training that they need, a lot of the time they have to go away to England or to Scotland and it's not because the facilitators aren't here, it's because the funding and the support isn't here a lot of the time.
18:29I think I've read about you and Todd, but you don't have a whole lot of time to put the show together.
18:35No.
18:36How long was that?
18:37Two weeks.
18:38Two weeks. Can you tell me the challenges of putting a large scale production together at such a short point in time?
18:44It's kind of twofold as to why we do that. One is we have very little budget and it costs a great deal to put on a show, so we only really have two weeks worth of a budget to put the show on.
18:58And as well as that, whenever you're in a professional situation, so I professionally trained, I got my degree from Bird College in London, and whenever you're in a professional environment, a lot of the time you only have two weeks to learn your show.
19:12And obviously whenever you're in your normal stage school classes and stuff, you have a lot longer. You might have four months, six months to put on a show. We want to push people to their limit so that their limit grows.
19:22It's mental. It is challenging. I am wearing a million different hats and trying to get everything done within two weeks, and our cast are here nine to five every single day.
19:33But they're doing amazing. Absolutely amazing. We covered the entire show in five days, which is unreal.
19:39We are doing, this afternoon, we're doing a full run through, start to finish of the entire show, and it's just been non-stop.
19:47But whenever your cast are pushing so hard, they kind of spur you on to do more, because I kind of have a rule where you're always trying to be the hardest worker in the room, and the cast are giving me a run for my money.
20:01And lastly, why should people come and see the show?
20:04I think people should come and see the show as it brings together young people from all over the Northwest.
20:09There are people from Letterkenny, Darioma, Siobhan, and they're all coming together. You wouldn't see these young people all together on one stage in any other show that they do.
20:21So we do have the cream of the crop for the Northwest. It's going to be a fantastic show.
20:25But also, just support youth theatre, because like I said, they all have to start somewhere.
20:32If you want to see them on a professional stage or on your screen at some point, this could be your chance to say you saw, insert any name from our cast here.
20:44So they're all going to go on and do great things.
20:46And it's also a case of we do our project throughout the entire year.
20:51We help support young people throughout the year. Our show is just the way that we publicise our company to get a bit of promotion.
20:59So please come and support the show so that we can continue doing what we do all year round and helping young people get to where they need and want to be.