WELSH National Opera ventured into new territory with conspicuous success in its hugely entertaining production of Stephen Sondheim’s gory shocker Sweeney Todd, delivered in three performances last week at the New Theatre.

The company’s first engagement with a musical follows the West End success with the same show for one of the company’s big stars of old, Bryn Terfel.

Sondheim, or course, takes a more serious approach to the genre than many composers. There is great wit in his words and imaginative music reflecting the details and tone of the action.

The piece fitted appropriately into WNO’s Madness-themed season, which began with Bellini’s I Puritani and continued with Handel’s Orlando.

Who other than a nutter would go about the business of butchering his barbershop customers to provide filling for meat pies?

Absurdly, there are those who believe Todd to be a real-life figure.

Of course, the dimmest plod would have rumbled the plot as soon as friends of the victims started to talk of planned visits to the barber.

Hugh Wheeler’s book tries to overcome this problem by stating that only loners must be slain; but this line does not convince.

In line with musical practice, the singers and orchestra were miked, making for a loud evening with the enthusiastic approach encouraged by conductor James Southall.

While David Arnsperger gave a compelling account of the title role, in fine voice throughout, the star was emphatically Janis Kelly as his pie-making partner in crime, Mrs Lovett.

Her coquettish advances to Todd, and cheerful sang-froid concerning her activities, lent a humorous dimension to the other wise grisly action.

Soraya Mafi was in sweet voice as the villain’s daughter Johanna, forced to fight off the unwelcome attentions of her hypocritical guardian Judge Turpin (Steven Page) and tenor Jamie Muscato made a suitably ardent swain for the girl.

4/5