MEMBERS of AmEgos drama group have been sharpening up their acting skills for a production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

In the Stephen Sondheim musical, those who enter Sweeney Todd's barber shop get more than a close shave, with the unlucky ones ending up in Mrs Lovett’s unsavoury pies.

Lesley Phillips, a member of AmEgos, is to play Mrs Lovett in a new production of the musical, which will be performed at King Alfred's Academy Theatre in Portway, Wantage, from Wednesday, April 5 to Saturday, April 8.

To get in the mood for performances Ms Phillips, from Faringdon, and Nick Coard, who plays Sweeney Todd, visited Morfose Barbers in Market Place.

Ms Phillips, who is also directing the musical, said: "We started out as a local theatre company for the Wantage area about four years ago and Sweeney Todd will be our tenth production - we are really looking forward to it.

"We perform mostly in Wantage and our members come from a wider area, including Oxford, Faringdon and Lechlade.

"Sweeney Todd is quite a hard musical to sing, and stage because of all the killings but there are some fantastically funny bits too and we wanted to give it a try.

"The musical is based on an old story from the 1800s and, of course, Sweeney Todd is a myth.

"It was fun visiting the barbers to get us in the mood for rehearsals.

"Usually we perform one play and then one musical and alternate throughout the year – we try to put on about eight or 10 shows every year."

Ms Phillips, who works for John Lewis, said the youngest member of the drama group is Georgina Volkers, who was invited to join by her mother, Robyn Volkers.

She added: "Four years ago we started out with a performance of The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, featuring a very talented young lady, Grace Anderson, and we went on from there."

Tickets can be bought at Lifestyle in Market Place, Wantage or through the website wegottickets.com/amegos