Located at number 186 on Fleet Street, London, was the infamous barber shop of Sweeney Todd, the notorious demon barber. This dark figure’s murderous career was brought to life in 1842 by George Dibdin Pitt, marking it as one of the first true crime dramas of its time.
The inspiration for the character of Sweeney Todd stemmed from a chilling account published in the Daily Courant in 1785. The report detailed a brutal murder where a young gentleman had his throat slit after being seen conversing with a barber-surgeon.
Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
In Todd’s macabre barber shop, his victims were unsuspectingly led to a revolving chair positioned above a trapdoor. As they were being shaved, Todd swiftly dispatched them with a razor. Their lifeless bodies were then disposed of in a cellar, where they were dismembered and their flesh incorporated into the meat pies sold by Todd’s accomplice and lover, Margery Lovett. Her pie shop, located nearby in Bell Yard, was connected to Todd’s establishment by a hidden underground passage.
Adding a further layer to the dark narrative, Todd and Mrs Lovett employed an unwitting orphan boy named Tobias Ragg in most versions of the story. Tobias would serve the pies to customers, unknowingly participating in the gruesome scheme. Over time, Sweeney Todd’s growing paranoia about Tobias discovering the truth led him to have the young lad committed to a lunatic asylum. However, Tobias eventually managed to escape and became entangled in Todd’s ultimate downfall, leading to his arrest.
However, the BBC’s 2006 adaptation of Sweeney Todd (my favourite), featuring Ray Winstone, took a slightly different approach to Tobias’ fate. In this rendition, Todd sends Tobias on an errand, but the young boy disobeys his orders and instead spies on the barber. Realising Tobias’ actions, Todd decides to send him away. However, before parting ways, Todd offers Tobias some money and promises him a better life elsewhere.
Once Tobias was out of the way, Todd’s killing spree spiralled out of control. He transformed into a maniac, mercilessly slaying anyone who entered his establishment. As time passed, suspicions arose among the people as they noticed something was amiss. People would enter the shop, but they would never come out.
The downfall of Todd came with the putrid odour emanating from the decomposing bodies. He skillfully sliced and diced the corpses, using their remains for his nefarious meat pies, while hiding the rest within the crypt of St. Dunstan’s church, which was also connected to his barber shop via an underground passage. The stench became so overwhelming that there was no escaping its grasp.
Ultimately, Todd met his own demise, taking the life of Mrs Lovett in the process, albeit escaping punishment for his crimes
The legend of Sweeney Todd continues to captivate audiences with its grisly tale of murder and deception, forever leaving its mark on the history of Fleet Street and the realm of dark folklore.
The BBC Adaptation – A Good Watch
The BBC’s 2006 adaptation stands out as one the finest renditions of this dark crime story. Tim Burton’s 2007 attempt, starring Johnny Depp, fell short for me. I’m not a fan of musicals and felt it detracted from the potential greatness of the film, despite Burton’s penchant for the strange and macabre.
This BBC drama stars Ray Winstone as Sweeney Todd, Essie Davis as Mrs Lovett, David Warner as Sir John Fielding, Tom Hardy as one of the Bow Street runners, and David Bradley as Sweeney’s father. Give it a watch; you won’t be disappointed.
