Lucy Barker
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Lucy Barker/Beggar Woman | |
|---|---|
 Laura Michelle Kelly as Lucy Barker in the 2007 Sweeney Todd adaptation |
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| Portrayed by | Merle Louise Sara Woods Laura Michelle Kelly Victoria Clark Diana Dimarzio |
| Information | |
| Aliases | The Beggar Woman |
| Gender | Female |
| Age | 30's to 50's |
| Date of birth | 1800s |
| Occupation | Housewife |
| Spouse | Sweeney Todd |
| Children | Johanna Barker |
Lucy Barker is a fictional character that appears in some versions of the story Sweeney Todd.
Contents |
[edit] Character overview
In most versions, she is the faithful and loving wife of Benjamin Barker and mother of Johanna Barker, whose life is destroyed by Judge Turpin, who exiles her husband in order to have her to himself. Soon afterward, Turpin rapes her, and she poisons herself with arsenic. She survives, but goes insane and disappears to live as a beggar, surviving on alms. Her husband believes she is dead, and becomes a serial killer bent on revenge.
[edit] In Sweeney Todd
Lucy Barker is the wife of Benjamin Barker, a barber in London's Fleet Street. They are happily married and have a new baby, Johanna. Judge Turpin is immediately captivated by Lucy's beauty and has Barker arrested and exiled so that he may obtain her for himself. Lucy ignores his pursuit, staying faithful to her husband, never leaving home. Finally, she is called to Turpin's estate, led to believe that the judge feels responsible for her plight and wants to help her. This is not the case: Lucy arrives at Turpin's masked ball, where he drugs and rapes her. Lucy is so distraught that she attempts to kill herself with poison, but survives and is driven insane. She has nearly forgotten everything that was dear to her and wanders the streets of London as a homeless beggar. When Todd returns years later, Mrs. Lovett, who is in love with him, leads him to believe that Lucy is dead.
Lucy shows evident distaste for Mrs. Lovett, calling her a witch and constantly invading her meat pie shop. Eventually, when Johanna is upstairs at the barber shop, Lucy pursues her up the stairs, believing Turpin's minion Beadle to be in Todd's shop. Todd then shows up, and Lucy begins to recognize him. He cuts her throat and drops her down the chute. Downstairs, after Todd kills Turpin, Lovett recognizes Lucy and scrambles to get rid of her. Todd shows up and realizes that he had just killed his beloved wife to which Mrs. Lovett says, "...said she took a poison, she did, never said that she died...it left her weak in the head, all she did for months was just lie there in bed. Should've been in hospital, wound up in Bedlam instead." Enraged, Todd throws Lovett in the oven to burn to death. Stricken with remorse, Todd holds Lucy's body — when his assistant Tobias Ragg cuts his throat, leaving them dead in each other's arms.
[edit] Performers
- Merle Louise appeared in the original 1979 Broadway adaptation. She won a Drama Desk award for best featured actress.
- Sara Woods played the role in 1982.
- Laura Michelle Kelly portrayed Lucy in the 2007 film adaptation, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
- Victoria Clark played her in the 2001 adaptation.
- Diana Dimarzio played Lucy in the 2005 Broadway revival.
- Julie Orlando is slated to play Lucy in the 2008 Prince George adaptation.
