Ever since the Greek dramas, audiences have been captivated by tales of love, passion, greed and revenge. One of the most intriguing forms of drama is that of murder. In theatre audiences can suspend their disbelief, so the death of a character is more understandable and accepted by audience members as they will see the actor alive at the curtain call. This is why audiences enjoy murders and death in theatre. For a couple of hours, they can immerse themselves in these dark tales and come out the other side with a new way of viewing humanity. There have been some amazing and iconic murders in theatre that have captivated audiences throughout the history of musical theatre. Here are just few of the most infamous murderers in the history of Musicals:

Little Shop of Horrors – Audrey II

This much-loved comedy musical written by Alan Menken, based on the Movie of the same name features one of the most infamous “murderers” in theatre. The musical follows a geeky florist, Seymour who comes to possess a flesh-eating plant, Audrey II, named after Seymour’s unrequited love, Audrey. Throughout the musical Seymour is forced to feed the plant and resorts to feeding it humans in order to keep it under control. These include the local nitrous oxide addicted dentist, and towards the end of the musical, his beloved Audrey. The in a theatrical spectacle, the plant’s final victims are the audience members themselves as the plant reaches out to the house to find its next meal.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street – Sweeney Todd

Renowned to be one of the greatest forms of musical storytelling in theatre, Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of fleet street features numerous bloody murders exerted by the protagonist Sweeney Todd, an accomplished barber, as he seeks revenge for the death of his loving wife and the kidnapping of his daughters. These dead bodies do not go to waste as they are used as the meat in the pies that Mrs Lovett, Todd’s neighbour and accomplice makes. This tale of greed, love, and revenge is one of the greatest stories in theatre.

Jekyll and Hyde

This Frank Wildhorn musical based on the classic Robert Louis Stevenson tale features a doctor, Dr.  Jekyll. Jekyll wanted to rid the world of evil and so creates his own alter-ego, Mr. Hyde. Hyde seeks revenge for those who have wronged Jekyll and goes on a murdering spree, eventually ending with the death of Dr. Jekyll himself by his own hand. This piece of theatre is a classic story which will be told for years to come.

Into the woods – The giant, the Steward, the Baker

This classic Stephen Sondheim musical features many of the most famous fairy tales of Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella, and Rapunzel. The second act features the concept of what happens after happily ever after. After the endings we all know of Cinderella and Rapunzel marrying their prince, Red riding Hood being saved, and Jack returning from the sky with his new riches, things turn for the worse when the giant that Jack stole from comes to seek revenge for her stolen goods and the death of her husband. In the chaos that ensues, the giant kills Rapunzel, a steward kills Jack’s mother, and the Baker kills the wolf. This tale holds many significant messages in its theme of wishes and wants, for example “be careful what you wish for”, “no one is alone”, and “nice is different than good”.

Chicago – Roxie, Velma, and the five murderesses

This famous musical, which produced an Oscar winning film, follows Roxie Hart, who kills her lover for trying to leave her, sending her to jail. There she meets Velma Kelly and five other murderesses who describe the respective murders they committed in one of the most famous songs in all of theatre, Cell Block Tango. Roxie and Velma, after being released, then become vaudeville performers. This musical, though not featuring many murders, is associated with murder through that one spectacular number.

Heathers – Veronica & DJ

Considered a cult classic as a movie and a musical, Heathers features Veronica, the only non-heather in the popular group in her school. Veronica meets DJ, a dark, dangerous classmate, and the two plots to kill the popular kids who are ruining their lives. The musical follows the pair as they proceed to commit the murders, ending with the death of DJ himself. This musical, though not very well known, has an extremely loyal and dedicated fan base who adore the musicals characters and music. (Viagas, 2016)

American Psycho – Patrick Bateman

This musical, based on the Movie of the same name, is one of the most famous murder stories of all time. A banker by day, a murderer by night, this musical follow Patrick Bateman as he commits murders in more and more gruesome ways. The character of Patrick Bateman is based on many real-life serial killers, including Ted Bundy.

The Phantom of the Opera – The Phantom

One of the most famous theatrical stories of all time also happens to be the longest running musical of all time. The Phantom of the Opera, written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, which takes place in an opera house, tells the story of a reclusive composer with a disfigured face who is in love with a young ballerina and singer. Throughout the musical the owners and performers speak of this terrifying Phantom who lives in the theatre. Christine, a young performer, claims that she is getting voice lessons from an angel, whom she thinks is her father, but is actually the Phantom. As the story unfolds, the Phantom proceeds to torture the inhabitants of the Opera house with fear, eventually resulting in the murder of a staff member by the hand of the Phantom. Christine, believing that the Phantom will murder more if not stopped, proceeds to plead with the man to stop, even willing to marrying him to stop him form murdering her lover Raoul who came to stop him. The musical ends when the Phantom realises that someone does have compassion for him, despite his hideous appearance, and lets Christine and Raoul go.

These are some of the most famous murderers in theatre. They have captivated audiences with their tales of love, greed, and revenge. The tales of these infamous murderers have allowed audiences to suspend their beliefs and learn important messages about humanity.

by Galina Kennedy

References

Viagas, R., 2016. 7 Musicals You Didn’T Know Are Based On True Crimes | Playbill. [online] Playbill.com. Available at: <https://www.playbill.com/article/8-musicals-you-didnt-know-are-based-on-true-crimes&gt; [Accessed 26 March 2020].