Joe Locke Astounds Audiences In His Broadway Debut With “Sweeney Todd”
Joe Locke recently made his Broadway debut in the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street where eager Heartstopper fans are reporting how pleasantly surprised they are with his singing ability.
Locke was announced as part of the cast in early December 2023 with his first show running on January 31, 2024. He is playing the pivotal role of Tobias – the young man responsible for drawing in customers for their grisly meals at Mrs Lovett’s pie shop.
A True Theatre Kid At Heart
Locke’s breakout role was as the introverted Charlie Spring in Netflix’s queer coming-of-age series Heartstopper. Audiences know that he can act, but it’s his beautiful singing that surprised fans.
In Sweeney Todd, the character Tobias has many Sondheim solos that require a steady vocal pace with rapid-fire lyrics. But, the character’s pièce de résistance is Not While I’m Around. It’s a snippet of this song with Locke that’s gone viral.
Fans have begun to leave supportive and validating comments about his vocal performance in Sweeney Todd. “If I can’t be happy about my own life, I’m damn sure gonna be happy about Joe Locke’s life,” muses one. “OMG HIS VOICE IS BEAUTIFUL,” and “I feel like he would absolutely slay Giants In The Sky from Into The Woods,” say others.
Locke’s theatre background is lesser known than his screen performances, but no less heralded. Locke made his professional stage debut last year in the Donmar Warehouse’s production of Dawn King’s The Trials and, now with Sweeney Todd under his belt, there’s no doubting his stage presence.
