Revenge may be a dish best served cold, but Mrs Lovett’s meat pies are piping hot. So it’s just as well they are being topped off with a hearty dollop of what musical director Philip Joslin calls “the cream of local societies” in Putting it Together Productions’ concert performance of Sweeney Todd, which comes to Watford Colosseum this month.

For one night only, audiences can enjoy the gripping and grisly tale of the demon barber seeking revenge against all those who have wronged him.

All proceeds from the performance will go to the Missing People charity and The Peace Hospice, Watford.

For the production, Matthew Gregory (St Albans Operatic Society) takes the lead as Sweeney Todd with Emma Southorn (Abbots Langley Gilbert & Sullivan Society) as Mrs Lovett.

Joining the cast at a charity preview in The Harlequin this weekend, I asked Philip why he had chosen to do a concert performance, rather than a stage show.

“It’s purely self-centred,” he says. “I wanted to conduct this piece as a charity performance and then so many friends wanted to get on board. Most theatres are not large enough to hold a full orchestra with a string and brass section, plus a harp and an organ, not to mention more than 30 principal singers.

“In total there will be more than 70 people on stage. I love the contrast of the lightness of some of the music alongside the darkness of the story.”

“That’s where I come in,” says Emma. “Sondheim’s music is so fantastic and Mrs Lovett is a fabulous, dark character. She’s got a screw loose, she’s totally obsessed with Todd and puts people into pies.

“Ever since I first saw Sweeney Todd I’ve been building up to play that part, but she’s traditionally played by an older woman and I thought I was too young.

“Then Helena Bonham Carter came along in the film version with Johnny Depp a couple of years ago and age didn’t matter anymore.”

Also among the principal cast are Hertfordshire-born professional singer Simon Curtis (Welsh National Opera and Glyndebourne Chorus) as Beadle Bamford, and longtime Sondheim fan Andy Taylor, who played the title role a few years back and now gets to grips with the altogether more menacing Judge Turpin, Sweeney’s nemesis.

Members of Watford Operatic, Cassio Operatic, PHEOS and Radlett Operatic make up the chorus in what will be the first UK concert performance since 2007, when Bryn Terfel took the title role for the reopening of the Royal Festival Hall.

First performed as a stage show on Broadway in 1979, Sweeney Todd, the grisly tale of the vengeful barber whose customers end up on the dinner table, has received many accolades, including six Tony Awards. Among these are best actor in a musical for Len Cariou and best actress in a musical for Angela Lansbury in the original production. It made its West End debut the following year, scooping the Laurence Olivier Award for best musical.

As well as the evening concert which showcases those award-winning songs, Philip says there will be an open afternoon for people to find out more about their local amateur dramatic societies.

“One thing we’re keen on is keeping amateur theatre well-stocked, so we’re holding an event with stalls representing all of the local societies for people to come along and see what am dram can offer.

“It’s for all members of the community to take part in, whether they want to be on stage or behind the scenes.”

The open afternoon is on Sunday, March 22, from 2pm to 5pm with the concert peformance to follow at 7.30pm. Details: 0844 586 0886, www.pitproductions.co.uk