Johanna Barker

Office character box
name = Johanna Barker


imagesize =

caption = Jayne Wisener as Johanna
portrayer = Sarah Rice (original Broadway cast)
Betsy Joslyn (1982 tour)
Jayne Wisener (2007 film)
Lauren Molina (revival musical)
Lauren Molina (2007-2008 Canada and U.S. National Tour)
debut =
departure =
based on =
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gender = Female
age = 15-16
born = 1800s
date of death=
occupation =
spouse = Presumably Anthony Hope
parent(s) = Benjamin Barker
Lucy Barker
child(ren) =
sibling(s) =
other =

Johanna Barker is a fictional character appearing in some versions of the story of Sweeney Todd. In the popular musical adaptation by Stephen Sondheim, inspired by Christopher Bond's play "Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (1973), she is portrayed as the daughter of Benjamin "Sweeney Todd" Barker and his wife, Lucy. In this version she is the ward of Judge Turpin, the man who falsely convicted her father and raped her mother.

In the original version of the tale, the penny dreadful "The String of Pearls" (1846-7), her name is Johanna Oakley and she is no relation of Todd.

In "The String of Pearls"

In "The String of Pearls" Johanna Oakley is the lover of a sailor named Mark Ingestrie, who seems to have gone missing at sea. One of his shipmates, Lieutenant Thornhill, comes to London with this sad news and also brings a gift of a string of pearls for Johanna from Mark. Thornhill, himself, however, also goes missing - last seen entering Sweeney Todd's establishment. One of Thornhill's seafaring friends, Colonel Jeffery, is alerted to the disapperance of Thornhill by the latter's faithful dog, Hector, and investigates his whereabouts. He is joined by Johanna who wants to know what happened to her lover, Mark Ingestrie. Johanna's suspicions of Sweeney Todd's involvement lead her to the desperate and dangerous expedient of dressing up as a boy and entering Todd's employment, after his last assistant, Tobias Ragg, has been incarcerated in a madhouse. Soon the full grisly horror of Todd's activities are discovered and the dismembered remains of hundreds of his victims found in the crypt underneath St Dunstan's church. Meanwhile it is discovered that Johanna's lover, Mark Ingestrie, is not dead, but has come to London in reduced circumstances and has been imprisoned in the cellars beneath Mrs Lovett's pie shop and put to work as the cook. Threatened with being killed and made into a meat-pie himself, he eventually escapes and makes the startling announcement to customers that "Mrs Lovett's pies are made of human flesh!". Mark then marries Johanna and they live happily ever after.

In Sondheim's "Sweeney Todd"

In Stephen Sondheim's musical, "", after Benjamin Barker is sent away to Australia, and Lucy raped and driven insane, Judge Turpin takes Johanna Barker as his ward, raising her as his own. He keeps her in her chamber at his estate like a prisoner, with her only connection to the outside world being her window. Judge Turpin plans to make Johanna his wife; the idea repulses her, and she rejects him.

Anthony Hope falls in love with her at first sight and vows to rescue her from her containment. Judge Turpin discovers her plot to escape and sends her to Fogg's Asylum for the mentally deranged. She is rescued by Anthony, posing as a wigmaker's apprentice. In some adaptations, she shoots Fogg dead. Disguised as a sailor, she is taken to Sweeney Todd's barber shop, where he has been longing to see her. When an insane beggar woman (later revealed to be her mother) pursues her in the upper room, Johanna hides herself. She is nearly murdered by her father when he discovers her, as he does not recognise her as his daughter. She survives when Mrs. Lovett inadvertently interrupts the attempted murder, and Todd tells her to forget his face before departing. Presumably she elopes with Anthony after the events of the film. Tragically, neither Johanna nor Todd ever realize the other's identity as Todd is killed by his own razor.

Performers

*Sarah Rice played Johanna in the original Broadway production.

*Mandy More played Johanna in the 1980 London Production.

*Betsy Joslyn portrayed her in the filmed version of the 1982 tour.

*Jayne Wisener played Johanna in the 2007 film adaptation directed by Tim Burton. It is hinted that Johanna doesn't respond to Anthony's love for her.

*Celia Keenan-Bolger played Johanna in the first revival of the musical.

*Eve Lister played the role in 1936 film adaptation. Billed as "Johanna Oakley".

*Lauren Molina played her in the 2005 John Doyle revival, and in the 2007-2008 John Doyle revival international tour.

References

http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0056212/bio