What happens in Sweeney Todd

Prologue

London, mid-19th Century. The company invites the audience to attend the tale of Sweeney Todd.

Act I

At the London docks. Anthony Hope, a young sailor, and Sweeney Todd, a surly, stoic man in his forties, express their feelings about being back in London. Anthony is genuinely happy to be back in the city, but Todd’s response is full of grim irony. While Todd thanks Anthony for saving his life at sea, a ragged, crazed Beggar Woman appears and begs for money. She thinks she recognizes Sweeney, but he fends her off. Anthony inquires about Sweeney’s circumstances, worried that he has no place to go now that they are in London. Sweeney dismisses his offer of money. He tells Anthony that if he needs him, he will be around Fleet Street.

Sweeney finds Mrs. Lovett’s Pie Shop and stands gazing at it. Mrs. Lovett sees him and is excited to have a customer. She offers him a pie but admits they are disgusting. She apologizes, explaining that times have been hard, and meat is difficult to come by.

Sweeney asks why she doesn’t rent the room above her shop, if times are so tough. She replies that no one wants it because of the awful thing that happened there. Mrs. Lovett then recounts the fate of Benjamin Barker, a naive young barber who was shipped to Australia by an evil judge. The Judge had coveted the Barber’s pretty young wife, Lucy. Once the Judge and his Beadle had Barker removed, Lucy was left alone to care for her one-year-old daughter, Johanna. Claiming the Judge was remorseful, the Beadle lured her to a masked ball at the Judge’s mansion where he had his way with her. When Sweeney Todd shouts in anguish at this news, Mrs. Lovett realizes that he is Benjamin Barker. Demanding to learn the fate of his family, Barker hears that his wife, Lucy, took arsenic, and that Judge Turpin adopted his daughter. Todd swears to take revenge on the Judge and the Beadle. Mrs. Lovett brings him his razors, which she has kept hidden away for all of these years. Todd is thrilled to be reunited with his razors, and Mrs. Lovett is thrilled to be reunited with Todd.

Judge Turpin’s mansion. Johanna is imprisoned. She calls out to the caged birds of a passing bird seller, imploring them to share their secret for singing so sweetly when they, too, are kept captive. Anthony appears on the street, sees Johanna and instantly falls in love with her. Suddenly, the Beggar Woman appears and tells Anthony that he is standing in front of Judge Turpin’s house and should beware of trespassing. Anthony buys a bird for Johanna. He calls to her and presents the bird. They stand, absorbed with one another, failing to notice the approach of Judge Turpin and the Beadle. The Judge orders Johanna into the house. The Beadle cautions Anthony to stay away and kills the bird as a warning.

St. Dunstan’s Marketplace. A crowd of people is gathered as Signor Adolfo Pirelli’s baldness banishing miracle elixir is offered for sale by Pirelli’s assistant, Tobias. Although the crowd responds to Tobias’ pitch, Todd and Mrs. Lovett begin a slander campaign against the elixir, and the people demand their money back. Tobias tries to distract them, but to no avail. Pirelli arrives and silences the crowd, demanding to know who denigrates his elixir. Todd steps forward and challenges Pirelli to a shaving and tooth-pulling match. Todd gets the Beadle to judge the contest and, being of superior skill, wins easily. The Beadle is very impressed and gets the address of Todd’s shop, promising to appear soon. When the Beadle thinks that he recognizes Todd, Mrs. Lovett assures him that this is not possible. After an encounter with the Beggar Woman, Mrs. Lovett climbs the stairs to Todd’s quarters, where he is waiting eagerly for the Beadle to appear. Todd is also impatient for the Judge to visit. Anthony appears at Todd’s door and tells him of his encounter with Johanna, unaware that she is Sweeney’s daughter. He plans to spring Johanna from her bondage and asks if he can bring her to Sweeney’s for safekeeping. Having secured Todd’s assistance, he leaves. Mrs. Lovett suggests that Sweeney kill Anthony and keep Johanna with him. She promises that she will be a splendid mother to Johanna.

Pirelli and Tobias appear. Mrs. Lovett takes Tobias away for a meat pie. Pirelli reveals his real identity, that of Benjamin Barker’s former apprentice. He tries to extort Todd by threatening to reveal that Todd is really Barker. Todd renders Pirelli unconscious and stuffs him into a chest when Tobias reappears. Todd persuades the boy to go to the kitchen for more meat pies and some gin. Once Tobias has gone, Todd pulls Pirelli out of the chest and slashes his throat.

At the courthouse. Leaving court, the Judge announces to the Beadle his intention to marry Johanna. At the same time, Anthony proposes to Johanna. As the Judge continues on his way home, the Beadle delicately suggests that Turpin pay more attention to his personal appearance to heighten his appeal to Johanna. Recalling Sweeney’s excellent work, the Beadle suggests to the judge that he make a visit to Sweeney’s shop.

At the pie shop, Mrs. Lovett discovers Pirelli’s fate. When Todd wants to kill Tobias, too, she protests. The Judge appears. Mrs. Lovett goes downstairs to distract Tobias. The Judge confides his marriage plans. Todd prepares to slit the judge’s throat but decides to take his time. Meanwhile, the Judge anticipates his future with Johanna. Just as Sweeney is about to kill the Judge, Anthony rushes in, blurting out the news of his planned elopement. The Judge leaves in a fury, announcing his intention to lock Johanna away and telling Todd that he will not be back. Enraged at losing the chance to kill the Judge, Sweeney throws Anthony out of the shop and announces his intention to kill everyone he can, to properly prepare for the inevitable destruction of the Judge. Mrs. Lovett reminds him that they have to dispose of Pirelli’s body. She has an inspiration: They can recycle his victims into meat pies. Sweeney sees the genius of this plan and they celebrate.

Act II

Thanks to her newfound prosperity, Mrs. Lovett has expanded her shop to include an outdoor eating garden. Tobias now works there as a waiter. The shop is mobbed with customers who crave the new pies. The Beggar Woman lurks around. An elaborate new barber chair is moved into Todd’s quarters. Todd and Mrs. Lovett set up a complicated system by which Todd sends his victims down a chute, directly into the bake house, where there is a grinding machine waiting. Mrs. Lovett runs out of pies but then a barbershop customer appears and she celebrates his impending demise and her fresh supply of ingredients.

Anthony searches the streets for Johanna. At the same time, Todd dreams of his daughter and systematically kills the customers who sit in his chair. The Beggar Woman tries to warn passersby about the strange odors and smoke coming from Mrs. Lovett’s bake house. In the lunatic asylum where the Judge has placed her, Johanna dreams of the moment when Anthony will free her. Anthony hears Johanna’s voice and discovers that she is in the asylum. He is determined to rescue her but the Beadle summons the police to arrest him. Anthony escapes.

Mrs. Lovett sits in the parlor. She fantasizes a married life with Todd on the seashore, but he is too fixated on his revenge plot to notice her. Anthony appears, asking Todd to help him free Johanna. Todd makes Anthony over as a wigmaker, knowing that the asylum will sell inmates’ hair to the highest bidder. He gives Anthony a gun and tells him to bring Johanna to the barbershop after the escape. Then Todd writes to Judge Turpin, telling him that he can find Johanna and Anthony at the barbershop that evening.

Back at the pie shop, Mrs. Lovett sits with Tobias. As she knits him a muffler, they exchange words about their warm feelings for each other. He is devoted to her and promises that no one will harm her. He suggests that something about Sweeney Todd is suspicious. When Mrs. Lovett pulls out Pirelli’s purse, he recognizes it. She says that Todd gave it to her, which only feeds Tobias’ doubts further. She invites Tobias into the bake house, where he is usually forbidden to go. He is delighted. Once there, she allows him to grind the meat for pies, and he forgets his concerns. She leaves him grinding and locks the door to the bake house. Returning upstairs, she finds the Beadle in her parlor. He has come in response to complaints about a foul smell from her chimney. She says that she can’t take him into the bake house until Mr. Todd comes home. He says that he’ll wait.

Todd arrives. He takes the Beadle upstairs for a free shave before his inspection of the ovens. In the bake house, Tobias begins to suspect that the remains of humans are used for the pies… just as the Beadle’s body comes down the chute. He realizes that he is locked in and disappears down the cellar steps, whimpering. Mrs. Lovett tells Todd that Tobias suspects them. She wants Todd to dispense with Tobias at once, but Todd is focused on extracting his revenge from the Judge. Anthony comes to save Johanna at the asylum, but when the owner tries to stop him, he cannot bring himself to shoot. Johanna grabs the gun and kills the owner. They escape.

Mrs. Lovett and Todd look for Tobias. The Beggar Woman, suspicious of Mrs. Lovett, searches for the Beadle.

Anthony and Johanna arrive at the barbershop. Johanna is disguised. At Anthony’s insistence, Johanna stays behind as he leaves to hire a coach for their escape to Plymouth. The Beggar Woman appears. Johanna hides in a trunk. The Beggar Woman surveys the room; being there stimulates something within her. She cradles and begins singing to an imaginary infant. Todd discovers her. She tries to warn him about Mrs. Lovett and wonders again if she knows him. The Judge arrives so Todd suddenly turns on her, slits her throat and releases her down the chute just in time. Sweeney lies to the Judge that Johanna is safely with Mrs. Lovett and is longing to be reunited with him. Todd convinces the Judge to have a shave to prepare for his meeting with Johanna. Sweeney reveals himself as Benjamin Barker and finally takes his revenge.

Todd starts out of the room as Johanna emerges from the trunk. Todd tries to attack her, but she escapes. He runs to the bake house. Mrs. Lovett is surprised by the Judge, who is still clinging to life. Drawn by her screams, Todd enters and notices the body of the Beggar Woman. Seeing her in the light, he realizes she is his wife, Lucy. He accuses Mrs. Lovett of deceiving him. She claims that she never told him that Lucy died, only that she took poison. She tries to stem his anger, and he feigns forgiveness by waltzing with her. He waltzes her to the oven and shoves her in, then cradles the Beggar Woman in his arms. Tobias appears, totally in shock. He kills Sweeney with the razor, which has fallen on the floor. Constables, Anthony and Johanna appear and witness the carnage.