Sweeney Todd; or The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Summary

1965 BBC production of the 19th-century melodrama Sweeney Todd; or The Demon Barber of Fleet Street by Charles Dibdin Pitt.

Theatre play

Sweeney Todd by George Dibdin Pitt [more information]

Play synopsis

This 19th-century melodrama focuses on a barber who slits the throats of his customers.

Production history

Sweeney Todd first appeared in a story titled The String of Pearls: A Romance, a ‘penny dreadful’ published in 18 weekly parts 1846-1847. It was probably written by James Malcolm Rymer, though Thomas Peckett Prest has also been credited with it. In February/March 1847, before the serial was even completed, George Dibden Pitt adapted The String of Pearls as a melodrama for the Britannia Theatre in Hoxton.

Date of transmission

Saturday 7 August 1965

Time

7.50-8.50pm

Series

Gaslight Theatre

Channel

BBC2

Production company

BBC

Credits

Producer

Bryan Sears

Lighting

John Summers

Playwright

George Dibdin Pitt

Adapted for Television by

Alec Clunes

Conductor

Maurice Arnold

Musician

Maurice Arnold (pianoforte)

Musician

Martia Eitler (violin)

Sets / Settings

Colin Pigott

Costumes

Olive Harris

Make-up

Wendy Playford

Sound

Dick Chamberlain

Advisor

Alec Clunes

Cast

Ronnie Barker	The Major / The Rev. Lupin
Alan Baulch	Tobias
Vivienne Bennett	Mrs Ragg / Mrs Kilmarnock
Belinda Carroll	Johanna
Leslie French	Mr Kilmarnock / Mr Oakley
John Gower	Mark Ingestrie / The Beadle
Patricia Hayes	Mrs Lovett / Mrs Oakley
Roy Holder	Jarvis
Alfred Marks	Sweeney Todd
Warren Mitchell	Ikey / Jean Parmine / Mr Fogg / The Judge

Additional details

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Play tags

19th-century setting; crime; melodrama; murder

Print sources

Title

Radio Times, 5 August 1965 (Magazine)

Linking notes

illustrated article, p. 4; listing, p. 7