[dasjambo]

Hey there, I'm trying to find the original Sweeney Todd for a high school production, not the Sondheim version, the plain old Victorian Melodrama (I'm planning on writing the songs).

Anybody have experience with trying this, or know where I can find the script?
Thanks a lot!

[Monsieur D'Arque]

Look up George Dibdin Pitt on amazon.com, and you can buy the melodrama. Be warned, it's crappy. You'd do better to find the Christopher Bond version that Sondheim's was based off of.

[dasjambo]

Oh okay, great thanks a lot for the advice. Does the Christopher Bond version have song lyrics?

[Monsieur D'Arque]

There are British folk songs in Dibdin Pitt's version. Christopher Bond's version has no song lyrics. If you want it with songs, it's very, very close to the Stephen Sondheim version, which was directly adapted from it. Of course, if you're looking for something different, there's a comedy version, The Sweeney Todd Shock And Roll Show, which you can find on Amazon used. It's a musical too, but more of a comedy one.

[dasjambo]

Oh man, that's too bad. The Sondheim version is not really on the table because who knows how outragous those royalties are right now.

I'll take a look at The Sweeney Todd Shock and Roll Show though, because we do want a musical. Is it any good, do you know?

Thanks so much Monsieur, I really appreciate all of your help!

[Monsieur D'Arque]

Shock and Roll is campy fun. It's like Sweeney Todd by way of Little Shop of Horrors. Fine drag role too, in Queen Victoria's surprise entrance.