Judge Turpin

In early versions of the Sweeney Todd legend, Todd himself is the primary antagonist, and no character equivalent to Judge Turpin appears. The original story "The String of Pearls" features a "Mr. Lupin," an older man with an eye to marry Johanna "Oakley" with the approval of the girl's mother, but his role is a supporting one and he has no personal connection to Sweeney Todd, a murderous thief without any given past. In the 1936 film version featuring Tod Slaughter as Sweeney Todd, it is Sweeney Todd himself lusting after the young Johanna. It would not be until Christopher Bond wrote his 1973 play Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street that the character of Judge Turpin would emerge.

In Bond's play and its subsequent adaptations by Stephen Sondheim and Tim Burton, Judge Turpin is first seen having Benjamin Barker arrested and sent to a penal colony in Australia in order to have Barker's wife, Lucy, all to himself. Lucy is heartbroken and becomes a recluse, never coming down from her house. Judge Turpin continuously pursues her, sending her flowers each day. He sends his henchman, Beadle Bamford, to summon her to his home, "blaming himself for her dreadful plight." He rapes Lucy, and she tries to kill herself by drinking poison. She survives, but is driven insane and reduced to begging in the street. Turpin then takes the Barkers' infant daughter, Johanna, and raises her as his ward. He keeps her locked away from the world and spies on her through a peep-hole in her wall. When Johanna turns 16, Turpin offers her his hand in marriage. She refuses, to his bafflement. When he spots Anthony Hope looking at Johanna, he has him beaten and threatens to kill him if he ever returns.

On Beadle Bamford's advice, he goes for a shave at Sweeney Todd's barber shop, in order to impress Johanna—unaware that Todd is in fact Benjamin Barker, returned from Australia and seeking revenge. Todd is about to cut Turpin's throat when he is interrupted by Anthony, who reveals Johanna's plan to escape. Turpin promptly leaves, renouncing Todd's business. Turpin returns home and finds Johanna smitten with Anthony. He sends her away to an asylum, planning to keep her there until she agrees to marry him.

Turpin receives a letter claiming that Johanna has repented, unaware that it is part of a trap laid by Todd. Following the direction of the letter, he goes to Todd's shop, where he is persuaded to have a shave. Turpin realizes Todd's true identity, and Todd slits his throat and drops him down a chute leading to his accomplice Mrs. Lovett's basement, where he bleeds to death.

In the musical Judge Turpin sings only one song by himself. The tracks were all composed by Stephen Sondheim:

• "Prologue: The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" (with Company)**
• "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd (Reprise 1)" (with Company)**
• "Johanna (Mea Culpa)" (Solo) **
• "Kiss Me (Part II/Quartet)" (with Johanna, Anthony, and Beadle Bamford)**
• "Pretty Women (part 1 and 2)" (with Sweeney Todd)
• "The Judge's Return" (with Sweeney Todd)
• "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd (Epilogue)" (with Company)**

(* Edited for 2007 film)
(** Cut from 2007 film)[1]

• Edmund Lyndeck played Judge Turpin in the original 1979 production of Sondheim's musical.
• Xavier Ribera-Vall played the role in Mario Gas's version (1995-1997 and 2009-2012).
• Alan Rickman played the role in Tim Burton's 2007 film adaptation of Sondheim's musical.
• Timothy Nolen played the role in 2001.
• Mark Jacoby portrayed Judge Turpin in the 2005 revival musical.
• Austin Kent played Judge Turpin in the 1980 London production.
• Denis Quilley portrayed Judge Turpin in the London revival.
• Will Roy portrayed Judge Turpin in the 1984 Houston Grand Opera/New York City Opera co-production.[2]
• Robert Cuccioli played Turpin in a 2022 production at The Muny.[3]
• Jamie Jackson played Turpin Off-Broadway in 2017 and in the 2023 Broadway revival.[4]