Sweeny Todd Auditions

Book an Audition slot for Sweeney Todd May 2027

Rehearsals start 7th FEB 2027
SHOW DATES: Friday 21st May 2026 to Saturday 29th May 2027

• There will be a singing and dancing workshop on Saturday 28th November at 9am for those interested in auditioning for parts for this exciting show that MAD will be putting on in May 2027.
• This will be followed by 15 minute individual auditions for main roles on the afternoon of Saturday 28th and on Sunday the 29th of November.
• Book your main role audition slot by clicking the time you want.
• Note: Auditioning for Ensemble only? You do not need an individual audition. Come to the workshop and complete the form there. 
• Suitable for older teens and adults. Please make contact if you are unsure if this is the production for you.

All actors MUST let Asha know their availability for all the shows at the auditions so that good decisions can be made by the Creative Team.

Asha will expect all successful actors, singers and dancers to be ‘fit’ for the show.  So, before the first rehearsals scheduled for Saturday 13th February for the first readthrough and Sunday February 14th 2027,  everyone will be able to get through some long sessions.  

This show will ask actors to be able to feel confident when touching (appropriately) another actor.  It is part of the make-up of the show.  If you are uncomfortable with this then it may not be the show for you.  

See links below for audition tracks, lyrics and character descriptions.

Contact Asha via the Contact Organiser button if you would like to know more.

SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/album/2q6InM859RCsSQOjHWNHk2?si=Yfs_4LjASr6pM-bk1c9U1g 

Lyrics: https://www.allmusicals.com/s/sweeneytoddthedemonbarberoffleetstreet.htm#google_vignette 

The words for The Ballard of Sweeney Todd for workshop:

https://youtu.be/k5cCjVI7LmY?si=lvU2f_WgItyiAY2q 

Karaoke version

https://youtu.be/eqaLfSZGMyA?si=0UyZ9Hp3UMCmDjJV

Audition songs to learn for main characters:  

Sweeney Todd - No place like London  

https://youtu.be/mJNV-cCrdpw?si=MItd_Z0tOT4Wz3PZ 

Anthony - No place like London 

https://youtu.be/mJNV-cCrdpw?si=MItd_Z0tOT4Wz3PZ 

Mrs Lovett - Worst Pies in London 

https://youtu.be/zlc_xUVLsqI?si=kfq0EPUgmXK4MpAF

Johanna - Green Finch and Linnet Bird

https://youtu.be/j4vZ4ZffmCY?si=RW02C5dZ_Bacnpcq 

Pirelli - The contest

https://youtu.be/P4p26gwT3E4?si=2K6GL_doxpofDAFb 

Tobias - Miracle Elixir

https://youtu.be/DnvFgagSDB0?si=87-qysQIFIt4ebV3 

Judge - Can sing any of the songs for the audition.

Beggar Woman - Alms for a miserable woman (Part of There’s No Place like London)

https://youtu.be/mJNV-cCrdpw?si=MItd_Z0tOT4Wz3PZ 

Beadle - Can sing any song for the audition.

Character details:

Sweeney Todd

Sweeney escaped from prison after being wrongfully accused and jailed for fifteen years. Formerly a proud barber, a loving husband and a happy father, Sweeney is now consumed by loss and revenge. He has returned to London to right the wrongs committed against him, his wife, and his daughter. Sweeney is charming but hot-tempered, ferocious yet vulnerable. Strong baritone/bass who can whistle. Speaks with London dialect. 

Mrs. Lovett 

An entrepreneurial meat pie shop owner who will do whatever it takes to survive. She is in love with Todd and hopes that he’ll forget the past and build a new life with her. At first shocked by Sweeney’s bursts of violence, Lovett turns his desire for revenge into a profitable business venture. She is resourceful, ambitious, charismatic, and has great comedic timing. Mezzo with belt. Speaks with a Cockney accent. 

Anthony Hope 

A youthful sailor who helps Sweeney return to London and unexpectedly falls in love with Johanna. He is idealistic, romantic and a little reckless. His passions sometimes get the better of his reason and his enthusiasm sometimes makes him unintentionally comedic. Over the course of the show he awakens to the horrors around him and becomes disillusioned with London. Tenor. Speaks with a standard British accent. 

Johanna 

Todd's long-lost daughter and Judge Turpin's young ward. Homeschooled and largely homebound. She has a rebellious, subversive and romantic streak and longs to escape her confinement. Johanna is aware that Judge Turpin isn’t her real father and suspects that he might be a predator. Like her father, she has experienced trauma and possesses a buried capacity for violence. Although described as “pale” and “yellow haired,” we are not taking this literally. Soprano. Speaks with a standard British accent (RP). 

Tobias Ragg 

A poor youngster apprenticed first to Pirelli and then to Mrs Lovett. He is industrious and eager to please, with a good sense of humor. Uneducated, but innately clever and observant, Tobias responds quickly to the kindness of Lovett but grows increasingly suspicious of Sweeney. After a betrayal, Toby experiences the violence and terror of this world and snaps. Or maybe he just becomes like everyone else. Tenor. Speaks with a Cockney accent. 

Judge Turpin 

A lecherous public official who portrays himself as a sanctimonious authoritarian. He takes advantage of his position to imprison Todd, assault Lucy, and take Johanna in as his ward. He is aware that what he wants and what he’s done is wrong, yet chooses to ignore or push against his conscience. Embodies Puritanitcal hypocrisy: he lusts after Johanna, even as he professes to keep her innocent. Bass/baritone. Speaks with a standard British accent. 

Beadle Bamford 

A pompous public official who is responsible for the health and safety of London. He possesses a dry, deadpan sense of humor and enjoys wielding his power. He is not a snivelling civil servant. He is deeply loyal to Turpin, though in his heart of hearts he believes he’s better than the judge. The Beadle loves singing children’s nursery rhymes, which remind him of his youth. Tenor with a strong falsetto. Speaks with a standard British accent. 

Beggar Woman/Lucy Barker 

An eerie, poor soul living on the streets of London. She supports herself by begging and prostituting herself to sailors. The Beggar Woman is Sweeney’s wife, Lucy, who lost her mind after being assaulted by Turpin and taking poison. She has occasional flashes of lucidity and distrusts Mrs. Lovett. Like the oracle Cassandra, She is the only one who sees what’s happening but no one will listen to her. Mezzo. Speaks with a Cockney accent.

Adolfo Pirelli 

An Irish former employee of Sweeney’s who has since developed a public persona as a flamboyant and flashy world-famous Italian barber. A charlatan who sells fake medicine and challenges other barbers to shaving contests. Pirelli is charming, calculating, and over-the-top comedic. Possess some anti-English sentiments and does not take lightly to being publicly embarrassed by Sweeney. High tenor. Speaks in both an Italian and Irish accent. 

Jonas Fogg 

The owner of Fogg's Asylum. Fogg sells the hair of inmates to wigmakers. Considers the inmates “children” and takes pleasure in showing them off to visitors. Chooses to ignore the human rights of his patients in the name of scientific progress. An authoritarian who is really a coward at heart. Speaking role who sings with the ensemble. Speaks with a London accent.

Ensemble

The ensemble acts as a Greek Chorus, commenting on the action and participating in the tale. They are the show’s chief storytellers, taking on the roles of customers, townspeople, police, inmates at the insane asylum, Sweeney’s thoughts, and Sweeney’s victims. They stand in for us and there is a feeling of them always being nearby, watching. The ensemble gets ample opportunities for vocal challenges and is showcased with solos and harmonies throughout the show. Sopranos, altos, tenors, baritones, and basses. Accents are not necessary.