The Wonderful and Surprising History of Sweeney Todd: The Life and Times of an Urban Legend

The Wonderful and Surprising History of Sweeney Todd: The Life and Times of an Urban Legend
The tales surrounding Sweeney Todd's notorious barber shop in London's Fleet Street have entertained generations of audiences and have made Todd himself one of the most famous - or perhaps notorious - characters in the city's history. The Wonderful and Surprising History of Sweeney Todd traces the fortunes of Todd's narrative from its earliest 'proper' appearance as a Victorian 'penny blood' in 1846-47, and then as a popular melodrama on the stage, through to its twentieth-century manifestation in film, ballet, musicals, and opera up to current and future productions, including the forthcoming Tim Burton/Johnny Depp film version of Stephen Sondheim's 1979 Broadway masterpiece.

Each successive generation has found a compelling fascination in Sweeney Todd's themes of avarice, ambition, desire, appetite, retribution, justice, and cannibalism. Following in the footsteps of the myth, this fascinating book takes the reader on a journey from the roots of the story in the alleyways and pie-shops of Victorian London to its modern incarnations on stage, screen and in popular culture.
Customer Review: A Devotee's Delight
If you are a Devotee of the legend/story/history/you-name-it of Sweeney Todd you should devour this book. Notice the capital "D". At times Mack gives us just a bit too much info, but then again it's all interesting. Of course, discourses on the general subject of cannibalism are a necessary part of the story. What's nice is that although it was published just before Johnny Depp added his interpretation for the benefit of the public at large, Mack touches on the story behind this latest film production...quoting Sondheim and Depp among others. A must-read starts on page 108 when the classic original story "The String of Pearls" is summarized.