“It’s kind of delayed gratification; I know I will enjoy this, but just not yet,” Seymour Performers Workshop president Peter Read, who will soon take the stage as Sweeney Todd, said.
“I imagine, if you used the sporting analogy, it would be like running a marathon.
“I don’t think the guy who’s 300m from the end of a 42km race, and has thrown everything into it and is hurting in every muscle, I don’t think he’s enjoying that.”
But it’s the moment after the final curtain closes, Katie Fitzgerald said, that made it all worth it.
“I like the camaraderie with the cast: this one, in particular, has been super supportive,” Ms Fitzgerald, who is set to play Mrs Lovett, said.
“It’s also friends and family, when they come and see the show and what we’ve achieved, but I also think it needs to come from the inside.
“The aftermath is always a bit bittersweet, but it’s a lovely reflection of what we’ve achieved together and how hard we’ve worked.”
Although the production is considered somewhat niche, Sweeney Todd is a name recognised by many, and Seymour Performers Workshop’s talented cast and crew are working hard to bring it to life this November.
The dark and twisted tale follows Todd, a murderous barber, and Mrs Lovett, a manic pie shop proprietress, as bloodthirsty vengeance is sought in 19th-century London.
Mr Read said becoming Todd was all about “saving up” his annoyances throughout the day.
“You have to build up your pent-up frustrations at traffic, and when you go to the shop and the thing that you want is not there: all those little annoyances of every day, you build those up,” he said.
Now at crunch time, with performances set to begin on Saturday, November 8 at the Seymour College Performing Arts Centre, the pair, alongside the long list of performers in supporting roles and the backstage crew, are readying for a jaw-dropping performance.
Ms Fitzgerald said, while “it’s probably the most challenging role I’ve ever done”, she was excited to bring the “quirky and very funny” character to the Seymour stage.
Mr Read agreed that the show was a tricky one but said he was looking forward to the finish line.
“The letting go once the show’s complete, that’s when I really enjoy what I’ve done,” he said.
“It’s hard work, it’s intense, it’s really emotionally taxing, but what I enjoy is having done the show and having it as a record of what we’ve achieved together.”
For more information, or to book tickets, visit spworkshop.org.au/sweeney-todd
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