Written and Performed by Lucy Roslyn
Directed by Jamie Firth
Review by Eve Nugent
It’s man devouring man, my dear, and who are we to deny it in here?
We have all heard of Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd and his murderous exploits on Fleet Street. But what of his partner in crime? Who had the first grisly idea to bake human flesh into meat pies? This dubious honour belongs to Mrs Lovett – the unhinged, opportunistic pie-shop owner lurking behind the barber’s chair. In this one-woman show at Pleasance Courtyard, BoonDog Theatre Company dares to dig into her untold past. Writer-performer Lucy Roslyn offers a dramatic monologue to trace Lovett’s life before meeting Todd, the man who will seal her fate – a tale steeped in hardship, hunger and an eery fascination with butchery.
Lovett’s origins are rooted in poverty and dark desire. She is the daughter of a whaler father, forced to watch him butcher on the shore, and a courtesan mother whom she is evidently fond of. Along the way, we encounter her peculiar one-eyed “friend” Irene, and later her butcher husband Armin – their singular shared joy is a game of chess, but he offers little else. Roslyn manipulates her voice to distinguish between each character with clarity.
The story is also threaded together with religious unease: the biblical story of Cain and Abel, verses read aloud by heart, and the looming presence of Mon Père, an abusive cleric from her childhood. When Armin dies, Lovett seeks to “recalibrate” her life and faith – until, at last, she meets her match in Master Todd.
Under Jamie Firth’s skilful direction, Roslyn delivers Lovett with fire and punch, unflinchingly clear in her storytelling. A touch more variation in pace might sustain the energy across the hour, but overall, by the end we understand the gruelling life that shaped Mrs Lovett – a woman willing to do whatever it takes to survive.
Delivered with Fire and Punch
Lovett runs at Pleasance Courtyard
Running time: Sixty minutes without interval
Review by Eve Nugent (contact@corrblimey.uk)
An undergraduate French student at the University of Edinburgh, Eve has a diverse interest in theatre and performance. Her primary devotion is acting, predominantly at Bedlam Theatre with her fellow students, but also with French group ‘Les Escogriffes’ who perform annually at the French Institute of Scotland.
Her creative attention stretches also to classical music, as she enjoys playing the flute, piano and guitar. She thus looks forward to watching whatever the Fringe has to offer, irrespective of genre!
