BEWARE! Another Sweeney Todd is cutting loose.

Step aside Johnny Depp, York has its very own Demon Barber Of Fleet Street in the York Stage Musicals' production of Stephen Sondheim's macabre musical thriller.

John Hall will play Mr Todd at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre from Tuesday to Saturday at 7.30pm nightly, joined in Robert Readman's cast of 35 by Sandy Nicholson as Mrs Lovett, Sweeney's amorous old friend, who creates diabolical meat pies from Sweeney's lethal work with a blade.

Other roles go to Alex Deadman as Tobias, the unwitting accomplice in her culinary crimes; Lee Gemmell as the evil Judge Turpin; Alex Papachristou as the Judge's wicked associate Beadle Bamford; Neil Foster as the flamboyant rival barber, Signor Adolfo Pirelli, and Juliet Waters as The Beggar Woman. Company newcomers Alistair Baron and Sophie Young will play young lovers Anthony and Johanna.

Robert Readman is not unduly concerned by staging Sweeney Todd in opposition to Tim Burton's film version.

"We were always planning to do it some time soon, and as the film was coming out, I thought it was a good chance to compare the two, " he says.

"It's of the moment, and if you're going to do it in the next six months, why not do it now?

I'm not going to see the film until our show is over, although I know they're not doing the story-linking ballads - the Greek chorus convention - in Burton's screen adaptation.

"I'm a Johnny Depp fan, I'm a Tim Burton fan, but what's different on stage is that it's Mrs Lovett's show, whereas I think the film will be Depp's show."

Sondheim's Gothic melodrama is one of Robert's favourite stage shows, so much so that he has seen it five times, not least when John Hall first played the lead role for Rowntree Youth Theatre.

"When you're choosing a show you have to be up with the times, so that you're not picking things that don't have much relevance to what's going on in the world around you, but this show certainly has plenty, " says Robert.

"Sweeney Todd is Sondheim's American take on being English, and he's a much more earthy writer than most musical writers."

Box office: 01904 623568 or online at www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk