First impressions

I just bought this, and upon watching it, a few things leapt out at me.
Firstly, I far prefer Len Cariou to George Hearn - vocally. That said, I think Hearn did a remarkable job at conveying Sweeney's complete insanity, especially in the final sequence. The way in which his moods swing all the way through was really good, one minute laughing maniacally, the next sitting with his head in his hands.
Secondly, the woman playing Joanna was dreadful. Her rendition of "Green Finch and Linnet Bird" is one of the worst I've seen - she used far too much vibrato which made it sound like she didn't know what note she was aiming for. Very badly done indeed!
Thirdly, I didn't mind Ken Jennings as Toby at all. I was expecting to find him very annoying, what with being an adult acting like a kid, but he pulled it off very well.
Fourthly, this Pirelli swallowed all his words too much when he was singing with his accent. To really do that part well, he needed clearer diction. His voice wasn't that good, either.
Lastly, Angela Lansbury is a genius! Her Mrs Lovett was superb. She has such an expressive face! I especially liked her final moments, when she's babbling, trying to talk her way out of trouble, while Sweeney sits holding his beloved.

Also, I think the bit in "Pirelli's Miracle Elixir" is hilarious, when Sweeney says "Smells like piss, looks like piss... This IS piss!" The way Hearn delivered that made me burst out laughing!

So, all in all, I'd give this 3.5 stars out of 5. The two leads were magnificent, but I think the show was let down by some mediocre casting in the lesser roles.

"You shouldn't have hit me with that!... You'll ruin the cake!" - Greybags