Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death and graphic violence.

Todd disguises Anthony as a wigmaker, handing him money and a pistol to liberate Johanna. He instructs Anthony to bring Johanna back to the parlor so that Anthony can arrange for transport out of London. When Anthony leaves, Todd writes a letter to Judge Turpin, informing him of Anthony’s plan (“The Letter”). He urges Turpin to come to the parlor to reclaim Johanna.

Mrs. Lovett and Tobias close the pie shop for the day. Mrs. Lovett is knitting a muffler and hints that it is for Tobias. This moves Tobias, who was frequently abused by Pirelli. He earnestly declares his resolve to protect Mrs. Lovett from harm (“Not While I’m Around”). Mrs. Lovett expresses her surprise over Tobias’s promises since she does not feel that her life is under any particular threat. Tobias explains that he is skeptical of Todd, generally believing that men are less trustworthy than women. Mrs. Lovett offers Tobias a bonbon from her purse, though Tobias immediately recognizes it as Pirelli’s purse. This bolsters his theory that Todd did something to Pirelli, who was last seen at Todd’s parlor. Mrs. Lovett pretends that it was a gift from Todd, who bought the purse at a pawnshop. She attempts to reassure Tobias by returning his sentiment, promising to protect him from all threats. She dotes on him and finally offers to let him work in the bakehouse with her. This is enough to distract Tobias from his worries.

Mrs. Lovett tours Tobias around the bakehouse, guiding him to use the large ovens and the meat grinder. She then steps out and locks him inside the bakehouse, though Tobias is too preoccupied with the meat grinder to notice.

The Beadle arrives at Mrs. Lovett’s back parlor, looking for her. Noticing Mrs. Lovett’s harmonium, he plays a song, which draws Mrs. Lovett’s attention (“Parlor Song”). Finally, he informs her of complaints that a foul stench is coming from her bakehouse chimney. He asks to conduct a health and safety inspection of her bakehouse. Mrs. Lovett pretends that she cannot access the bakehouse because Todd has the key and is out. The Beadle plays another song on the harmonium, joined by Tobias. He wonders if Tobias can unlock the bakehouse for them, so Mrs. Lovett lies and says that Tobias has an intellectual disability to explain why he is locked in the bakehouse. When the Beadle suggests waiting for Todd to return, Mrs. Lovett provides another alibi, explaining that Todd went out of town for the day. Not long after, Todd arrives.

Mrs. Lovett suggests that Todd should shave the Beadle. The Beadle indulges the offer, and the two men ascend to the barbershop. Nervous that Todd and the Beadle will cause a commotion, Mrs. Lovett plays a song on the harmonium. Down in the bakehouse, Tobias is eating a pie when he finds a fingernail in it. The Beadle’s corpse then comes through the trapdoor chute, shocking Tobias. He begs to be set free from the bakehouse. When Mrs. Lovett doesn’t come, Tobias finds his way to the cellar steps and searches for a way out. Todd returns to Mrs. Lovett, who decides that they must deal with Tobias next. Todd points out that Turpin is on his way to the parlor, but Mrs. Lovett disregards this.

The company sings of the plans set in motion, hinting that they are beginning to twist. They continue singing the ballad until they transform into the inmates of Fogg’s Asylum, shifting the scene. Anthony convinces Mr. Fogg that he is interested in a business partnership, and Mr. Fogg leads him to the room where Johanna is being kept. Anthony identifies her by her hair, and Johanna recognizes him immediately. Anthony holds Mr. Fogg at gunpoint to facilitate their escape but loses his nerve at the last second. Johanna takes the gun and shoots Mr. Fogg. This provokes the inmates’ escape from the asylum. The inmates echo the beggar woman’s earlier song of alarm, claiming that it is the end of the world (“City on Fire!”). During their escape, Johanna urges Anthony to affirm his promise to marry her over the weekend, even though some time has passed since their first meeting.

Todd and Mrs. Lovett enter the bakehouse, searching for Tobias. Mrs. Lovett tries to draw Tobias by promising that no harm will come to him. Outside, the beggar woman peers into the windows of the pie shop, looking for the Beadle. Upstairs in the parlor, Anthony and Johanna arrive, looking for Todd (“Searching”). Johanna is wearing Anthony’s sailing uniform as a disguise. Anthony promises to come back for Johanna while he looks for a coach to hire. Afraid of being left alone, Johanna asks to come with him. Anthony worries that it will be less safe for her and reassures her that they are close to fulfilling their plans of escaping London.

Johanna hears the beggar woman calling for the Beadle. This scares her into hiding in Todd’s chest. The beggar woman enters Todd’s parlor and imagines herself cradling an infant. Todd suddenly appears, outraged that the beggar woman trespassed into his parlor. He orders her to leave, but the beggar woman urges him to beware Mrs. Lovett. She briefly recognizes Todd once again. Todd hears Turpin coming, so he kills the beggar woman and throws her down the chute to the bakehouse.

Todd entertains the judge, indicating that Johanna is in Mrs. Lovett’s care (“The Judge’s Return”). He acts as though Johanna is already on her way up, prompting Turpin to ask Todd to apply some cologne on him. Todd reminds him of their shared admiration for pretty women, eventually alluding to their desire for the same woman. When Todd declares that Turpin doesn’t remember his face from his incarceration all those years ago, Turpin finally recognizes him as Benjamin Barker. Todd slashes Turpin’s throat and sends his body down the trapdoor chute. Relieved, he tells his razor that it is time to rest forever. He is about to return downstairs to deal with Tobias when he sees Johanna climbing out of the chest. Todd is convinced that Johanna is a sailor who came for a shave. Johanna promises not to tell anyone what she saw. Todd sits her down, preparing to kill her. Suddenly, Mrs. Lovett screams, “Die! Die!” This distracts Todd and allows Johanna to escape. Todd descends to the bakehouse.

Mrs. Lovett screamed because Turpin is still alive and is reaching for her. He eventually dies, and when Mrs. Lovett backs away, she sees the corpse of the beggar woman, recognizing her. Mrs. Lovett is preparing to burn the beggar woman’s corpse in the oven when Todd arrives. Against Mrs. Lovett’s wishes, Todd picks up the beggar woman’s corpse to bring it to the oven. It is only then that he realizes that the beggar woman was his wife, Lucy, all along, and that Mrs. Lovett had lied to him about her fate.

Mrs. Lovett clarifies that she never lied because she only said that Lucy took poison. She withheld the fact that Lucy survived and only meant to protect Todd because she believed that he wouldn’t want her anymore in her present state. Mrs. Lovett affirms her love for Todd, claiming that she will care for him twice as much as Lucy did. Todd puts on a face to show that he is satisfied with her explanation. He waltzes with her, reassuring her that he will put the past behind him. Todd claims that the history of the world is all about forgiving and forgetting, evoking Mrs. Lovett’s fantasies of a seaside life once again. When they reach the oven, Todd throws Mrs. Lovett inside, killing her.

Todd takes the corpse of his wife and remembers the brief history of their relationship. He acknowledges once again that he was naive back then. At that point, Tobias, his hair having turned fully white, returns from the cellar, singing nursery rhymes. He rebukes Todd for harming so many people. Todd pushes him aside, giving Tobias a chance to reach for Todd’s razor on the ground. Singing another rhyme, Tobias kills Todd with the razor. Anthony and Johanna arrive at the bakehouse with several policemen. Tobias urges them to get away because they are unauthorized to enter his and Mrs. Lovett’s place of work. He turns the meat grinder. Johanna weeps, and Anthony tries to console her.