Mrs. Lovett is a fictional character appearing in many adaptations of the story ''

Sweeney Todd Sweeney Todd is a fictional character who first appeared as the villain of the penny dreadful serial '' The String of Pearls'' (1846–1847). The original tale became a feature of 19th-century melodrama and London legend. A barber from Fleet St ...

''. Her first name is most commonly referred to as Nellie, although she has also been referred to as Amelia, Margery, Maggie, Sarah, Shirley, Wilhelmina, Mary, and Claudetta. A baker from London, Mrs. Lovett is an accomplice and business partner of

, a barber and

serial killer A serial killer (also called a serial murderer) is a person who murders three or more people,An offender can be anyone: * * * * * (This source only requires two people) with the killings taking place over a significant period of time in separat ...

from

Fleet Street Fleet Street is a street in Central London, England. It runs west to east from Temple Bar, London, Temple Bar at the boundary of the City of London, Cities of London and City of Westminster, Westminster to Ludgate Circus at the site of the Lo ...

. She makes

meat pies A meat pie is a pie baked with pastry with a filling of meat and often other savory ingredients. They are found in cuisines worldwide. Meat pies are usually baked, fried, or deep-fried to brown them and develop the flavour through the Mail ...

from Todd’s victims. First appearing in the Victorian

penny dreadful Penny dreadfuls were cheap popular Serial (literature), serial literature produced during the 19th century in the United Kingdom. The pejorative term is roughly interchangeable with penny horrible, penny awful, and penny blood. The term typical ...

serial '' The String of Pearls'', it is debated if she was based on an actual person or not. The character also appears in modern media related to ''Sweeney Todd'' including multiple stage and film adaptations.

Character overview

In every version of the story in which she appears, Mrs. Lovett is the business partner and accomplice of barber and

; in some versions, she is also his lover. She makes and sells

meat pie A meat pie is a pie baked with pastry with a filling of meat and often other savory ingredients. They are found in cuisines worldwide. Meat pies are usually baked, Frying, fried, or deep-fried to brown them and develop the flavour through the ...

s made from the bodies of Todd's victims. Although Mrs. Lovett's character and role in the story are similar in each version, certain details vary according to the story's interpretation. In some versions, for example, Mrs. Lovett commits

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

when their crimes are discovered, while in others, Todd kills her himself or she is arrested and escapes execution by turning King's Evidence against Todd. Her physical appearance varies from a slim and alluring beauty to a plump, homely lunatic. Her age is also differing in many adaptations; though it is never specifically stated in any versions, there are some (most noticeably in Sondheim's musical) where she is older than Todd, often by a difference of over fifteen years and others where she is around his age. Whether their relationship is platonic, romantic, or merely sexual also varies according to interpretation.

Reception

In April 2024,

Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

journalist Thomas Floyd met with eight notable actresses who have portrayed Mrs. Lovett. In their article, Floyd met with Julia McKenzie (1993 revival, National Theatre in London), Christine Baranski (1999, Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, CA, and 2002, Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.), Patti LuPone (2000, London Philharmonic, 2001, San Francisco Symphony, and 2005 Broadway revival in New York City, NY),

Helena Bonham Carter Helena Bonham Carter (born 26 May 1966) is an English actress. Known for her roles in Blockbuster (entertainment), blockbusters and independent films, particularly period dramas, List of awards and nominations received by Helena Bonham Carter ...

(2007, film adaptation), Lea Salonga (2019, Theatre at Solaire in Manila, Sands Theatre in Singapore), Bryonha Marie (2023, Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA), Annaleigh Ashford (2023 Broadway revival in New York City, NY), and Sutton Foster (2024, replaced Ashford in Broadway revival). The performers agreed that playing the iconic role was a great honor, and also a great responsibility. Both Baranski and LuPone recalled feeling intimidated when finding out they had been cast. Baranski recalled

Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March22, 1930November26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. Regarded as one of the most important figures in 20th-century musical theater, he is credited with reinventing the American musical. He received Lis ...

stating that she was going to have fun playing the role, to which Baranski responded: "Fun? This is like scaling a mountain. This is terrifying." The actresses took different approaches to preparing for the role. Baranski read the novel '' London Labour and the London Poor'' by Henry Mayhew to take a deeper look into the priorities of a lower-class woman in Victorian England. Ashford, Salonga, Bonham Carter, and LuPone all revisited previous performances, including Angela Lansbury’s originating performance in 1979. Others took a more personal approach, such as Marie, who drew from her culture and background as a black woman to develop the character. The performers also voiced differences in their interpretations of the role. McKenzie saw Mrs. Lovett less as a villain and more as a product of her circumstances, whereas LuPone saw her as a manipulator and the true villain of the story. Foster, Bonham Carter, and Solonga agree that Mrs. Lovett’s desperate need for love leads to her eventual demise, and LuPone theorized that the first lie she tells at the top of the show leads the character down the path of manipulation that leads to her fate. Ashford describes Mrs. Lovett’s arc as

Shakespearean William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

in how wild, broad, and grounded it is, and compared the character to Puck.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lovett Characters in Sweeney Todd Female characters in film Female characters in literature Female literary villains Female film villains Female horror film villains Fictional bakers Literary characters introduced in 1846 Fictional businesspeople Fictional murdered people Fictional female serial killers Fictional people from London Fictional shopkeepers Female characters in musical theatre