Lovett at Plymouth Theatre Royal
Review by Talisker Pearson at the Drum
Produced by Boondog Theatre - September 2025
This new, original work by Lucy Roslyn takes the classic story of Sweeney Todd and flips it completely, and it works perfectly! Coming into this one-woman play, I was initially sceptical.
How could a singular person tell the whole of Miss Lovett’s story without losing the interest of the audience? My question was answered very quickly when the title character entered, sharpening her knife before inviting us into a world of class, lies and of a woman trying to ‘get by’.
While this show may just be an hour-long monologue, it certainly didn’t feel like it. The jumps in time, from Elenor’s childhood to her first encounter with Todd, paired with the breaking of the fourth wall, kept me on my feet and on the edge of my seat for the whole hour.
An hour which, I must say, flew by. While there may not have been a specific narrative as such, as the main story takes place with her alone in her butchery, her goal of revenge for her mother is compelling and horrifyingly sick at the same time.
The praise for this production should go to Lucy Roslyn, whose writing didn’t just cleverly work through the harsh realities of Victorian London, especially for a young woman, but also gave us, as an audience, an alternative look at a character many may have overlooked in the past.
This wasn’t just a brilliant reworking, but a whole new look on a character! Not only did Roslyn write this show, but she also stars in it. Her brilliant performance, switching from character to character with lightning quick speed is captivating, intriguing and even comedic at points, eliciting constant laughs from the audience.
Now I can completely accept that this will not be everyone's cup of tea. The comments on Christian power and abuse of such power, along with profane and graphic images, could definitely alienate some audience members; however, there is no denying that this brilliant script, paired with even more powerful acting, had me mesmerised and most certainly will have you too.
I can highly suggest this performance for anyone looking for something new, original and a bit different, but still as exciting and captivating as the biggest of productions.
