THEY say that love and hate are two sides of the same coin.

The direction (Ella Dolan and Sophie Paterson) captured the subtle interplay that led to the rise and demise of Sweeney Todd (Hamish Ritchie) without making gory murder and pies made from people seem gratuitous!

Ritchie was excellent in the role, brooding and doing his best to ignore entrepreneur, Mrs Lovett (Lucy Morwood), and her not-so-subtle overtures as he figures out how to rescue his daughter, Johanna (Steph Prior). The complicated score was sung beautifully by the whole company, and musical director Nicholas Shaikh showed great skill in ensuring both the large orchestra and cast could be heard and appreciated in this difficult venue.

The powerful ensemble numbers were breathtaking at times. The staging and set made good use of the space, add to that a cracking pace and you really do have a showstopper!

The Nuffield Annex, Southampton