For our team, Sweeney Todd tells a story about the seductive nature of capitalism. People are lured into the system by empty promises of success and status, only to find themselves stripped of empathy, love, and compassion. Capitalism slowly corrupts, shifting focus from the collective good to personal advancement.
Set at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, London was seen as a city of opportunity, drawing people seeking a better life — only to find themselves trapped in a harsh, cyclical system, barely surviving. Inspired by the deceptive allure of products and the twisted values of society, our London takes the form of an elevator from London’s first amusement park in Regent’s Park, known as London’s Colosseum. This golden structure, set inside a rough concrete container, lures the audience like the promises of capitalism.
When the structure turns, the illusion shatters, revealing a meticulously constructed prison. The beautiful facade is gone, and we confront the inescapable reality of a system designed to entrap, where the game is “eat or be eaten.”
