![]() ![]() Stephen Sondheim first conceived of a musical version of the story in 1973, after he went to see Bond's take on the story at Theatre Royal Stratford East. In Bond's reincarnation of the character, Todd was the victim of a ruthless judge, who exiled him to Australia and raped his young wife, driving her mad. The musical was, in fact, based on Christopher Bond's 1973 play Sweeney Todd, which introduced a psychological backstory and motivation to Todd's crimes. By the 1870s, Sweeney Todd was a familiar character to most Victorians. An expanded edition appeared in 1850, an American version in 1852, a new play in 1865. The murderous barber's story proved instantly popular – it was turned into a play before the ending had even been revealed in print. Set in 1785, the story featured as its principal villain a certain Sweeney Todd and included all the plot elements that were used ever since. A story called The String of Pearls was published in a weekly magazine during the winter of 1846–47. The character of Sweeney Todd had its origins in serialized Victorian popular fiction, known as penny dreadfuls. 6.1 Original Broadway production and tour.
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