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 talking to a barber-surgeon.
The Sweeney Todd Story
Todd’s early years were marked by misery. When he was seven, his mother contracted consumption and sent him away, so he wasn’t by her side when she died.
His father was a corrupt alcoholic who caused Sweeney’s brother to be hanged and had Sweeney himself imprisoned for twenty years. Locked up in London’s Newgate Prison, described at the time as ‘hell on earth’, Todd learned his trade behind bars. Released and traumatised by his experiences, he opened his own barber shop, unleashing his anger on innocent customers seeking a shave.
In Todd’s grim barber shop, his victims were unsuspectingly led to a revolving chair positioned above a trapdoor. As they were being shaved, Todd quickly dispatched them with a razor. Their lifeless bodies were then disposed of in a cellar, where they were dismembered and their flesh used in 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 shop by a hidden underground tunnel.
Mrs Lovett was married to a brutal man who abused her. She then fell for Todd, who appeared protective, kind and understanding, but who was, in truth, a serial killer.
Adding to the dark tale, Todd and Mrs Lovett employed a young orphan named Tobias Ragg in most versions of the story. Tobias served pies to customers, unaware of the gruesome source. As Todd’s paranoia grew over Tobias uncovering the truth, he had the boy locked away in a lunatic asylum. Tobias later escaped and played a key role in Todd’s eventual downfall and arrest.
However, the BBC’s 2006 adaptation of Sweeney Todd, featuring Ray Winstone, took a slightly different turn to Tobias’ fate. Here 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 became a monster, mercilessly slaying anyone who entered his establishment. Over time, suspicions grew as locals noticed people entering the shop but never coming out.
Todd’s downfall began with the foul stench rising from the decomposing bodies. He expertly butchered the corpses, using the flesh in his sinister meat pies and hiding the rest in the crypt beneath St. Dunstan’s church, linked to his barber shop by another secret tunnel. The putrid smell grew so intense it became impossible to ignore.
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 grip audiences with its grisly tale of murder and deception, forever leaving its mark on the history of Fleet Street and the darker corners of folklore.
The BBC Adaptation – A Good Watch
The BBC’s 2006 adaptation stands out as one the finest versions of this dark crime story. Tim Burton’s 2007 attempt, starring Johnny Depp, didn’t work for me. I’m not a fan of musicals, and it felt like that element undermined the film’s potential, despite Burton’s flair 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.
