What has become something of a biennial event, students and parents at Bancroft’s school have been gifted with a real theatrical treat to end the spring term. This season “Sweeney Todd” the musical has captivated audiences for three sell-out nights as the student-led production dazzled everyone with strong individual performances and breath-taking ensemble work.

“Sweeney Todd: the demon barber of Fleet Street” is the tale of a fictional barber in London, who had been unjustly sent to prison. Upon his release, the barber sets up his own shop on top of a pie shop (run by Mrs Lovett) as a ploy to lure in the malevolent judge who prosecuted him and killed his wife. The sometimes funny, macabre and pitch-perfect musical has been a stalwart of London’s West End theatre scene. Recently in 2007 a movie version was released starring Johnny Depp and directed by Tim Burton.

Nonetheless, the consensus on this adaptation of the famous musical is that audiences surely will be shocked at the incredibly high level of skill from actors, musicians and technical staff, considering this is only a school production. The musical follows on the footsteps of Bancroft’s production of “Les Miserables” in 2015 which also received rave reviews.