Beadle Bamford

Beadle Bamford is a fictional character who appears in most adaptations of Sweeney Todd.

In 1936 film

In the , in which he is referred to as the Beadle, he gives the title character his new apprentices, the latest one being Tobias Ragg. He states that Tobias will be the last apprentice given to Sweeney by town hall because of the disappearance of Sweeney's 12 previous apprentices.

In Broadway musical

In Stephen Sondheim's 1977 Broadway musical "", he serves as the villainous Judge Turpin's best friend and chief henchman, and helps him frame and exile Benjamin Barker and procures the barber's wife Lucy for Turpin to rape. Fifteen years later, he brings Turpin to Sweeney Todd's barbershop — unaware that the barber is in fact Barker, returned from exile and hell-bent on revenge.

On Turpin's orders, he takes Todd's daughter Johanna to an insane asylum when she rebuffs Turpin's offer of marriage. After she escapes, he goes to Todd's barber shop to investigate strange black smoke and foul smalls coming from the chimeney. There, Todd kills him by slitting his throat.

In Tim Burton's , he was portrayed by Timothy Spall.

Characteristics

Beadle Bamford is shown to be one of the more influential and powerful figures in London. He is the best friend and constant companion of Judge Turpin, a man greatly feared and respected by his peers. Bamford is portrayed as an authority figure, well-known by most chracters in the play. At various points when something goes wrong, characters will make reference to summoning "the Beadle."

Bamford is also implied to be quite vain, frequently bragging of how he does his best for his "friends and neighbours" and exhibiting a fondness for being the centre of attention. He frequently attempts to give the impression of being a respectable and virtuous individual, behaving in an overbearingly authoratative manner and showing a (somewhat false) concern for his "official obligations." Additionally he is a social climber. It is his vanity that eventually leads to his downfall as Sweeney flatters him shamelessly in order to lure him upstairs so that Sweeney can slash the Beadle's throat. It works. In the Tim Burton film adaptation he is quite lecherous and also extremely sadistic, assisting Judge Turpin in ensnaring Lucy Barker and later grinning evilly as Turpin rapes her. He also takes great pleasure in viciously beating Anthony with his walking stick. He later enthusiastically attacks Johanna and drags her to the asylum.