Heartstopper‘s Joe Locke is diversifying his portfolio and heading to Broadway next month. According to Deadline, Locke is joining the cast of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street as of January 31, 2024 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. He will be replacing Stranger Things Gaten Matarazzo and Daniel Marconi as Tobias.
Sweeney Todd originated in Penny Dreadfuls in the 1840’s. The first iteration was in the String of Pearls: A Domestic Romance. It was a compilation of Penny Dreadfuls that apparently weren’t attributed to the author’s originator. But it caught the attention of many due to the dreadful story of a barber who killed his victims in his barber chair before they fell backward into a shoot, never to be seen again.
Most people know Sweeney Todd from the story based on the Stephen Sondheim musical and lyrics from 1979 and the book by Hugh Wheeler. They themselves based it on another play from 1970 that went by the name of Sweeney Todd and was created by Christopher Bond. The Broadway production that Locke will be joining tells the story “of a resourceful pie shop owner and a vengeful barber out for blood.” and is based on the Bond play. He’ll be playing the apprentice mixed into this mess.
“He’ll send the demons howling, dearie. The delectable @joelocke03 will be playing Tobais Ragg beginning January 31st,” a post from the official musical’s Instagram account read on Thursday, December 7th.
“See u on broadway 😭🥰 Jan 31st 🖤🔪,” Locke wrote on Instagram after the announcement was made.
Locke will be joined by Aaron Tveit as Sweeney Todd and Sutton Foster as Mrs. Lovett when he joins the Broadway musical. They will be taking over for Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford, who will be ending their run as Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett on January 14, 2024.
Heartstopper seasons 1 & 2 are available now on Netflix. And Sweeney Todd: The Barber of Fleet Street starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter is available for rent.
