At last… our pod is complete again.” Join Ian, Liam & Megs (she always goes last), along with Friend of the Podcasters: Beadle Steve, for our 304th episode as we sharpen our razors, roll out the pie dough, and dive into the gothic, gory glory of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007). This week, we’re not just talking Burton’s blood-soaked macabre attempt at a masterpiece — we’re also sharing our collective memories from our very own recent production of Sweeney Todd! Expect behind-the-scenes stories, backstage laughs, and maybe a few stories about trap doors and jettisons of blood This week we discuss: How Tim Burton’s adaptation balances musical theatre grandeur with cinematic horror — and where it falls short. Johnny Depp’s take on the title role: tortured genius or just Burton doing Burton again? Helena Bonham Carter’s Mrs. Lovett — delightful, deranged, and determined to make the worst pies in London. How Alan Rickman and Timothy Spall manage to be both repulsive and magnetic - but can they sing?  Who do we think could've done it better? The use of colour, lighting, and sound — and why did the crew need so many garbage bags? How Sweeney Todd manages to turn tragedy into operatic spectacle without losing its emotional sting. We discuss at great length a couple of elements that one of us just couldn't overlook We share our favourite moments (and biggest mishaps) from our own stage production — from what it's like to be reviewed ourselves to unexpected laughter in the wrong places and if you can imagine it - Ian flexing in the spotlight What it’s like performing Sondheim’s music live — the challenge, the rhythm, and the glorious chaos. Beadle Steve joins us to talk about his experience, his favourite scenes, and whether he’s still hearing “Ding Dong!” in his sleep... and what happened to the ensemble anyway? And finally, whether Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is the Best Film Ever — or just the bloodiest musical we’ve ever loved. Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at https://www.patreon.com/BFE We are extremely thankful to our following Patrons for their most generous support: Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM Hermes Auslander James DeGuzman Synthia Shai Bergerfroind Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most Andy Dickson Chris Pedersen Duane Smith (Duane Smith!) Randal Silva Nate The Great Rev Bruce Cheezy (with a fish on a bike) Richard Ryan Kuketz Dirk Diggler Stew from the Stew World Order podcast NorfolkDomus John Humphrey's Right Foot Timmy Tim Tim Aashrey Paul Komoroski Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/. Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor. Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/