Autumn in the Lake District and a small opera company is driving north, heading for a maximum-security prison to stage Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd - the tragi-comic tale of a good man turned murderer, trapped in a spiral of revenge and grief.
Victoria, an ambitious young director, has been given the chance to make her name by staging the musical in a prison. But as she and her troupe of middle class musicians travel through the countryside, it’s obvious none of them have any conception of what lies ahead.
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Prison life is lonely and the men Victoria meets have a dull, routine-driven, daily existence. Yet, despite this institutionalisation, the lifers are powerfully individual and keen to participate in the show. Kevin is the principal prison officer, torn between the conflicts of his own |
small theatrical ambition and the responsibilities of his job. As the rehearsals develop, the excitement and the uncertainties of the troupe and the lifers working together begins to take effect - presenting formidable challenges to the rules of prison life. Passions and rivalries |
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emerge, old wounds are reopened, and the volatile personalities of the individuals lead to tantrums, tears and violence. Increasingly caught between the two worlds the point is reached at which Kevin has to decide if the show will go on...
As they share the anxieties and experience the pleasures of rehearsal, they learn to communicate on a new level; self-esteem is raised and humour and imagination thrive. The film climaxes in a fantastic feast prepared by the troupe - with each prisoner choosing the meal of his dreams - this shared moment is the catalyst for confessions, expressions of
love, honesty, and support. This experience of being together is the culmination of the rehearsal process and empowers the lifers. When finally, the show is about to start, we know that they will create a magical piece of musical theatre.
Tomorrow La Scala! takes us on a warm and wonderful journey that shows the power that music and theatre can have on our lives. The redemptive experience of community, humour and affirmation, win out over the destructive power of revenge.
Running time
102 minutes
Starring
Jessica Stevenson
Shaun Dingwall
Samantha Spiro
Kulvinder Ghi
Karl Johnson
Dudley Sutton
David Oyelowo
Written and directed by Francesca Joseph
Produced by Ruth Caleb and Christopher Collins
A BBC Films and the Film Council presentation of a
Home Movies production.
Winner of Best Made-for-TV Movie Award, Banff Television Festival 2003