"Sweeney Todd" comes back to life at Hartford Stage.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Hartford Stage
Hartford
June 13, 2026
They say that revenge is a dish best served cold, but in the case of the Demon Barber, it’s best served hot– with a flaky pie crust to boot.
An historic collaboration between Hartford Stage and Theaterworks brought Sweeney Todd to life at the former’s location on Church Street with that lesson in tow. The Saturday matinee show was packed, which only added to my anticipation.
Believe it or not, I hadn’t seen Sweeney Todd (the play or the Johnny Depp movie) before, so the wonderfully malicious plot twists were surprising to me. To preserve the surprise for others, I’ll keep the summary brief: Sweeney Todd returns to London with his friend and rescuer, Anthony Hope. Once there, he shacks up with Mrs. Lovett, the owner of a failing meat pie restaurant. Immediately, Todd begins enacting his plans for vengeance that sweep up all of London, or at least all of London on stage.
I found myself laughing and gasping in horror at the macabre developments throughout the production. The production teams turned the stage into a Gothic recreation of London, with a two-level structure at the center that stood as the restaurant/tonsorial parlor, as well as a lift that moved cast members and set pieces around.
Bringing the characters to life was an accomplished collection of performers. Matt Faucher’s Sweeney Todd brimmed with charisma and malice. There were multiple times throughout the winding story that I wanted to root for Todd, to excuse his terrible behavior, but Faucher did a superb job of letting the monster show through the charming smiles.
The scene stealer of the day was Jackie Burns as Mrs. Lovett. Unlike Faucher’s brooding darkness, Lovett’s misanthropy came with a laugh, constantly joking through the awful things she was willing to do. While Burns made Lovett into a humorous, jabbering busybody on the surface, like Faucher, she used the subtext of the character to make liking her impossible, even if I was entertained by her.
And then the music… Sweeney Todd featured over 30 musical performances, each tailored to the mood of the moment. My favorite song of the evening was "Kiss Me," performed by Anthony (Willem Butler), Johanna (Lauren Maria Medina), Beadle (Brian Ray Norris), and Judge Turpin (Edward Watts). The song was upbeat and fast, capturing the whirlwind of emotions that young love brings on. It was pleasant to see Johanna and Anthony plotting for good instead of ill.
The Demon Barber is a wonderful, Broadway-level production that will make the whole family laugh and squirm. Be sure to check it out.
NEXT
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street continues at Hartford Stage through July 5.
