It is a true privilege to watch as a genius like Sondheim explains how he uses dissonance and resolution (or the lack thereof) to create atmosphere and to unsettle the audience. Words of gold.

RIP the immortal Stephen Sondheim. A genius of wit, feeling, and scansion.

lmao at the director throwing shade at the versions of epiphany where todd laughs walking up the stairs. idc what he says george hearn pulls that off beautifully

Every obituary of this genius has referred to Sweeny Todd. I remember when it first opened in London and I was dying to see it - I'd seen every production of Sondheims work since West Side Story and a friend had got me tapes of the New York production of Sweeny Todd. Plus I was a great fan of Sheila Hancock and Denis Quilley. Yet the critics, and one in particular, slaughtered it. I wept. I went to see it and despite the audience reaction the show closed far too early. It took ages for those idiots to realise the brilliance of the show and I've ignored critics ever since.

Dr. Sondheim has driven us performers crazy for years trying to learn his lyrics and get them exactly right. It's oddly satisfying to see that sometimes he can mess them up too! He's human after all!

This Sondheim guy, wow! - "We'll serve anyone..." - the double entendre - love it! The absolute perfect rhymes and well-turned phrases - brilliant! - It's almost as if he's one of the world's best lyricist, or something. And gives the top composers a run for their money, too! - Already so missed!

Was cast as an ensemble member in a really good production of this in 1997 using an almost identical set. Getting my throat slashed in the 2nd scene of act 2 every night and dropping through that trapdoor was a great honor for me. 😎

I've never been more excited to watch a KZfaq video in my life

RIP Stephen Sondheim. Musical genius. RIP Harold Prince. Director, unmeasurable

I never "got" Sondheim's musicals. However, watching him here shows how complex his orchestrations are and how much thought he puts into every part of his musicals!

“Well, it’s not really complicated, it just sounds that way...” Only from the mouth of such a genius...

The original production with Len Cariou and Angela Lansbury remains in my opinion the best version. This is yet again another work where Sondheim turns the world on its head. The world has lost a genius, a humble man and fine human being. His work will live on though as we say farewell and thank you.

Bless you for posting this amazing quality copy of one of the greatest theatre documentaries! I saw quite a good copy of it some years ago -- much better than the earlier KZfaq version -- but then my eyes bugged out when I saw YOUR copy! Wow! It is PRISTINE! I'm SO thrilled you made this available for all to see and cherish!

I find the breakdown of Sondheim's process in writing fascinating. For a long time, I always wondered why Pirelli's Miracle Elixir sounded so familiar. I finally remembered, being a Dr. Seuss fan. This is from Fox in Socks by Seuss: Please, sir. I don't like this trick, sir. My tongue isn't quick or slick, sir. I get all those ticks and clocks, sir, mixed up with the chicks and tocks, sir. I can't do it, Mr. Fox, sir.

Its amazing how the composer comes up with all of these different moods and emotional expressions for the characters through the musical pieces....good stuff....

most brilliant musical ever.

I’ve wanted to watch this for YEARS! Thank you so much for this wonderful upload. Sweeney Todd is my favorite musical of all time.

So much better quality than the other version. Lovely to see it again, and I'm in it!

i saw this back in 1980 ..going to watch tonight really looking forward to it

What a dilf too, let's be honest. Sondheim, a total daddy. Handsome as any star, so virile, athletic, taut.

This was gold. GOLD. What a find. Thank you so, so much.

Never thought I'd see this in such wonderful quality.I taped it with a cassette recorder on transmission(just to get to know the show)-and it was the first West End Show I ever saw. It took me years to track down a grainy VHS copy and It is amazing to see this so beautifully restored. I gather the whole show was filmed by LWT at the time in order to create this. I just wonder if that may be in a vault somewhere..... Thankyou so much.xx

Wow...This is an amazing SWEENEY TODD Master Class !!! It is must see viewing for any serious theater company planning to do a production of this musical masterpiece.Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I saw the Broadway version and the London version when it first opened. (I'd seen all of Sondheim's previous shows on Broadway and confess I was addicted.) Sadly, the London critics still hated Sondheim before they learned to love him. I saw this London version many times... it's still my favorite, and that includes all the productions I've seen since. Sheila Hancock as Mrs. Lovett and Denis Quilley as Sweeney are also my favorites in their roles. I've seen this presentation once before but in a faded video. The posting here is of exceptional quality and deserving of viewing by all Sondheim fans.

absolutely lovely. I am choked by the beautiful moving music especially after learning the intent behind every scene. I love contrast between Ms. Lovett's sweet spirit seeking love and the Todd's sorrow.

I could watch this all day every day...what an incredible talent!!!

AMAZING! Hearing Sondheim explain his writing style is like listening to a voice from beyond our human capacity to understand-yet he makes it sound so simple! This is an absolute treasure, thank you for uploading.

I saw this production in London in1980 - brilliant and when Pirelli gets offed, the entire audience screamed. My favourite of all his works. Thanks for posting and thanks for all your music and words, Stephen. Sleep a lifetime...

I love this show. The whistle being blown always gives me a fright every time. The fact that Angela lansbury is in this show xxxx

Wonderful documentary!!! Thanks for posting this very clear version!

Thank you for posting this! It’s in amazing quality!

Thank you for this! I've never seen this before and I've loved this play since I saw it with George Hearn in 1984

after watching these...I can truly say that the George Hearn/Angela Lansbury combo really embodied everything the directors were expressing...in my opinion 🙂

I was lucky enough to see this and as a group we went to see Andrew Wadsworth play Anthony who was originally from Burnley. My first time seeing a musical in London. I was spell bound. This along with Evita started my life long love affair with musicals. This literally changed my life. What a privilege to see this fantastic piece of theatre. After all these years, this appears on my utube. What a fantastic programme and a brilliant reminder of what an excellent day I had so many years ago. Thank you ❤❤❤

brilliant! should be required watching for anyone writing for the theatre

Thank you for posting!

LOVED. IT. Thanks SO MUCH for posting this!!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Absolute legend, thank you so much!

Amazing quality, thanks!

Seeing the actor for Perelli get pissed about his role being cut down made me genuinely feel anxious and tense.

Thank you so much for posting this!!!!

I cannot thank you enough for posting this!!!

Thank you so much for posting this. I am a BIG fan of Sweeney Todd, ( saw the original product with the great Angela Lansbury and Len Cariou ). My 1️⃣st Broadway musical 🎶; I was floored. I would love to see the revival.

I want to say thank you for posting this. Thank you 100 times. I have just started listening to Sweeney Todd recently, (though I’ve always loved Joanna, Pretty Women, and possibly my favorite song Not While I’m Around). I was also thinking of looking for a “making of a musical” documentary, so this has been satisfying, twice over. Lastly, I’ve been seeing on social media quite a bit, the current Mrs Lovett, Annaleigh Ashford singing The Worst Pies in London, (obsessed with her, she’s fabulous, but that’s another story), and now I have an understanding of her hand gestures, explained by the composer himself.

Wow! Thanks for posting this in such better quality!

This is a great behind the scenes video of a great show. Really good quality and content. Loved it!

Wow...thank you for uploading this. Can't believe how good the quality is. Amazing to see the great Hal Prince at work.

Wow, thanks for uploading this!

THANK YOU!!! Great documentary!!

Lovely peek behind the scenes. Thank you.

Loved seeing this! Had only seen some some excerpts here in really poor quality. Thanks so much for posting!

Will we ever again see such a level of craft in musical theater?

thank you for this. such a privilege to look into the minds that made this musical.

Thank you! I'm playing the judge in a production and this has arrived at the perfect time :-)

Director Tim Burton first saw this early London production of 'Sweeney Todd' as a 22 year old student - he loved it so much, he came 3 nights in a row! Yet more evidence the poor reviews that closed it early were undeserved. This fascinating 'making of' South Bank Show special show confirm it was one of Stephen Sondheim's best stage musicals, and Denis Quilley and Sheila Hancock were superb in the leading roles. Even back in 1980 when Tim Burton wasn't sure what he'd do for a career, he remembers thinking how cinematic this London production of 'Sweeney Todd' was, and that it would make a great movie. Fast forward 27 years, and his 2007 film starring Johnny Depp was fantastic. He successfully turned a 3 hour stage musical into a superbly slick and entertaining 2 hour movie that unlike so many big screen musicals, wasn't disjointed by the singing scenes. Depp should have won the Oscar, he was a mesmeric Sweeney Todd and despite never having sung professionally had a fine singing voice (his Cockney accent was spot on too - something, oddly enough, British actor Denis Quilley didn't attempt!) Burton decided to make the movie far bloodier than the stage versions had been. His logic was that Todd was such a quietly menacing presence that when he actually committed the murders they should be explosive, representing a huge emotional release for Todd with tons of blood and visual shock! Helena Bonham Carter was excellent as the wily Mrs Lovett, and Sacha Baron Cohen gave a memorable cameo as the flamboyant rival barber and con man Senor Pirelli, who brings about his own end by attempting to blackmail Todd. Stephen Sondheim loved Tim Burton's movie - which is huge praise, because as a rule he didn't like film adaptations of his musicals feeling they just didn't translate from stage to screen. Sondheim agreed with Burton's view that the material had to be dramatically cut down and remodelled (with songs shortened or omitted entirely), for a great film to be accomplished. Burton said it helped him enormously to have Sondheim's blessing to edit his work. Sondheim had special praise for Depp's performance and the intensity he brought to the role. The composer said it was remarkable Depp gave Todd such charisma, as the character could be regarded as 'one note' due to his constant sad, brooding energy. There's no doubt Johnny Depp's innate natural sex appeal gave his Sweeney Todd a sensitivity and magic that hadn't been seen in previous interpretations.

I have seen a few different productions. The first was the original with Lansbury and Cariou, then I saw a fine High School production of it with Nikki Blonsky in the role of Mrs. Lovett, (yes, that Nikki Blonsky of Hairspray), the movie, which I enjoyed quite well, and then a version of it on off broadway in the late 20teens that had the audience as the customers. We actually ate before the show in outside of Mrs. Lovett's pie shop, it was a fine cast and the orchestra was made of a pianist, (extremely well played as well as diffictult), a violinist and a clarinetist. That was it. All were performed quite well. I also have seen the video of Lansbury and Hearn, which is fine but nothing comes close to Len Cariou. This documentary of how the show was put together is a great treasure. glad I saw it.

This is pure gold. Happy to stumble on it. I just came back from NYC where I saw the 2023 revival of Sweeney

This is such a great quality upload! And that’s my Mum at 1:57 !!

Gosh. Thanks. I never hoped to see it so clearly. 🥨🥨🥨

I've Never Seen Sweeney Todd The Musical Before. Thanks Mate. X

That argument with the actor playing Pirelli was a masterclass on how to diffuse a tense situation. He allowed them both time to cool off and think and a potential disaster is averted

THANK YOU

Just went to see the 2023 revival for a second time and it was still a thrill to hear that glorious music sung so well and played so fine by a large orchestra. I had seen the “Teeny Todd” production at Circle in the Square, the John Doyle revival , the New York Philharmonic performance featuring Audra McDonald as the Beggar Woman and two versions of the Tooting Arts Club production at of the Barrow Street Theater (which included a delicious meat pie before the performance!). The current revival was even better the second time around. Despite any criticisms you might have heard, if you love Sweeney you have to go just to get the opportunity to hear those awesome orchestrations and the large chorus. And what a privilege to see this video and watch and listen to Sondheim explaining his thought process for these specific songs. What an artist and what a gift he left us all.

DESCANSE EN PAZ, MAESTRO!

Thanks for this! I'm a big fan of Denis Quilley. He returned to the show years later to play Judge Turpin, hoping to find a tape.

I saw this cast! I feel so privileged to have been able to do so.

Wow This is fascinating Never knew Sheila Hancock played this Patti lupone is one of my favourites particularly A little Priest Sondheim is a genius - rip legend ❤

This is so great!!!

Oh my. Thank you!

Ohhhhh this is sooo good! I LOVED watching Sondheim sit at the piano, play, sing and explain his process. I could have watched him run through the entirety of every musical this way, just hanging on every word. And i love how seriously Hal Prince takes the art. I've loved him ever since Phantom and how he discussed it as high art vs. the schlocky tourist trap its often unfairly reduced to. i'm only a little disappointed in Quilley's Sweeney both in terms of voice and acting. I actually paused it during "Epiphany" to go watch George Hearn's version. His the quintessential Epiphany for me.

NPR did a three day series on the podcast Fresh Air with this genius and I’ve been hooked since

I don't care how small my part was....I would never quit a Stephen Sonheim/Hal Prince show.

Lord I wish I had seen this to be there at the font. Seen dozens of productions this show: nothing yet touches National Theatre, in The tiny Cotteslow, with Julia Mackenzie & Quilley back as The Judge. Perfection.

Oh what I would have given to work with the master Hal Prince. He seemed like an absolute joy to work with. I've heard so many fantastic stories from colleagues and friends of his dedication to the craft but also his sincere and genuine generosity to the cast.

"God, that[documentary]'s good!"

I’m going to see the Thomas Kail production this summer, so I figured it was finally time to watch this!!!! Stephen Sondheim and Hal Prince were masters of their craft.

Bravo thanks

This production was the first Sondheim i ever saw, I'll never forget Sheila Hancock's Mrs Lovett.

This is outstanding

THEY FIXED THE LINE I was never happy with 'the trouble with poet is how do you know it's deceased?' because it's not clear what 'the trouble with poets' is. The change to 'scrawny' make its clearer; poets don't eat. A vast improvement.

It was/is, along with Les Miz, my favorite show. Watching this and learning the genius behind it puts it right back on top. It is Sondheim's masterwork. It's ironic KZfaq put on the side the ad for the movie you can rent or buy. I hated the movie. When will these egomaniacal Hollywooders learn to say no when they are incapable of translating a work of genius to the screen. Watching this documentary proved that to me. Burton, Depp, Bonham Carter and all the rest of them turned Sweeney Todd - this brilliant work - from a steak to dog food.

I never realized that the original production was set in a factory. That’s brilliant!

Pure perfection

I went to see Sheila Hancock and Denis Quilley during the first week of it's very short run at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. I bought a cheap seat and was shocked to be in the front 10 rows of the stalls. The production and performances were wonderful, but nobody bought tickets. The show closed before Europe got to hear about it

Mr.Quilley's Michael Jackson-esque jazz turn was a cute surprise. 49:41 - if one blinks they'll miss it, and oh! and done in time to sing on the beat.

What great surprise. I have yet to see it staged (too bad the movie was shit) but I have listened to several productions, though not this one. This is the perfect balance of backstage and stalls perspective of the creative process. Always great to see The Master share his complex process. Sondheim is a god in my book. Thanks so much for this.

Wow! I can’t believe that man said he would leave!

The scenes with Sondheim as an eager young buck are gold. I found the leads weak, like they didn't fully inhabit their roles. They're going through the motions but nothing pops. In the rehearsals more so, but even in the performances. Fortunately the show is eternal and there will always be new interpretations.

The shadows on the walls during the ballad kinda reminds me of my childhood nightmares

Brilliant.

Can't believe they are both gone; boy did we lose something.

Such a great vid. It's a joy that this has been preserved so well since it aired over 40 years ago. A gem. However, can it be any wonder it didn't "run" in the West End when pretty much the whole plot is spelled out in this documentary, along with many of the most enjoyable numbers aired in full!? Yes, it's a musical not to everyone's taste, but at least let them find that out AFTER they've bought a ticket 🤣

When he forgets the lyrics to “Johanna” for a sec.

The staging is so good!! Genius !! One of Sondheim's Best, if not the BEST !!

I had no idea that Hal Prince worked on this with Sondheim. Two geniuses.

I worked with Denis Quilley years after this on My Fair Lady. I also saw him in La Cage Au Folles - He was a lovely man and a quite brilliant performer. The video of the whole of this is still waiting to be discovered but the audio of the last night is here - kzfaq.info/get/bejne/Zt9_ZbZ7m7u1eoU.html

I don't really... BELIEVE this guy playing Todd. He doesn't have the intensity I'm used to. George Hern was awesome and even Len Cariou, as subdued as he was, was more intense. Not the strongest singer, either. Having said that the video is still fantastic

This is the closest I've seen a production get the look of Sweeny Todd to his Penny Dreadful counterpart. (Hair like a thick set hedge, wide mouth etc.)

RIP Steven Sondheim!

BRILLIANT! It's anamazing video, I'm crying