Tobias Ragg
Encyclopedia
Tobias "Toby" Ragg is a fictional character who appears in various adaptations of the story Sweeney Todd
.
In the penny dreadful
The String of Pearls
, Tobias Ragg is in a madhouse, driven mad by Sweeney Todd, a barber who murdered his customers.
In the Stephen Sondheim
musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
, Toby is the apprentice of Signor Adolfo Pirelli, a barber who was once an apprentice of Todd. Pirelli pretends to be Italian, and sells some fake potions for hair, made of "piss and ink". Toby is hired by Mrs. Lovett
after Todd kills Pirelli. Toby becomes deeply attached to Mrs. Lovett, thinking of her as a surrogate mother; when he discovers that she and Todd have been killing customers and making them into meat pies, however, he goes insane with horror and shock. After seeing Todd kill Mrs. Lovett, a vengeful Toby emerges from the sewers where he was hiding and slashes Todd's throat with his own razor.
It is of interesting note that Tobias originally was to be played as an adult, albeit a mentally handicapped one; Ken Jennings
was 31 on opening night, Neil Patrick Harris
was 27, etc. The movie is the only version of the story in which Tobias is an actual child; Ed Sanders
being 14 in the movie.
Sweeney Todd
Sweeney Todd is a fictional character who first appeared as then antagonist of the Victorian penny dreadful The String of Pearls and he was later introduced as an antihero in the broadway musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and its film adaptation...
.
In the penny dreadful
Penny Dreadful
A penny dreadful was a type of British fiction publication in the 19th century that usually featured lurid serial stories appearing in parts over a number of weeks, each part costing an penny...
The String of Pearls
The String of Pearls
The String of Pearls: A Romance is the title of a fictional story first published as a penny dreadful serial 1846-47. The main antagonist of the story is the infamous Sweeney Todd, "the Demon Barber of Fleet Street", who here makes his literary debut....
, Tobias Ragg is in a madhouse, driven mad by Sweeney Todd, a barber who murdered his customers.
In the Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award...
musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is a 1936 British film produced and directed by George King.-Plot:The film features Tod Slaughter in one of his most famous roles as barber Sweeney Todd. Sweeney Todd was wrongly sentenced to life in prison. After his release 15 years later, he begins...
, Toby is the apprentice of Signor Adolfo Pirelli, a barber who was once an apprentice of Todd. Pirelli pretends to be Italian, and sells some fake potions for hair, made of "piss and ink". Toby is hired by Mrs. Lovett
Mrs. Lovett
Mrs. Lovett is a fictional character appearing in many adaptations of the story Sweeney Todd. She is most commonly referred to as Nellie, although Margery, Maggie, Sarah, Shirley, Wilhemina and Claudetta are other names she has been given. First appearing in the penny dreadful serial The String of...
after Todd kills Pirelli. Toby becomes deeply attached to Mrs. Lovett, thinking of her as a surrogate mother; when he discovers that she and Todd have been killing customers and making them into meat pies, however, he goes insane with horror and shock. After seeing Todd kill Mrs. Lovett, a vengeful Toby emerges from the sewers where he was hiding and slashes Todd's throat with his own razor.
It is of interesting note that Tobias originally was to be played as an adult, albeit a mentally handicapped one; Ken Jennings
Ken Jennings (actor)
Ken Jennings is an actor most famous for his 1979 role as Tobias Ragg in Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street...
was 31 on opening night, Neil Patrick Harris
Neil Patrick Harris
Neil Patrick Harris is an American actor, singer, director, and magician.Prominent roles of his career include the title role in Doogie Howser, M.D., Colonel Carl Jenkins in Starship Troopers, the womanizing Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother, a fictionalized version of himself in the Harold...
was 27, etc. The movie is the only version of the story in which Tobias is an actual child; Ed Sanders
Ed Sanders
Ed Sanders is an American poet, singer, social activist, environmentalist, author and publisher and has been a longtime member of the band The Fugs. He has been called a bridge between the Beat and Hippie generations.-Biography:...
being 14 in the movie.
Performers
- Ken JenningsKen Jennings (actor)Ken Jennings is an actor most famous for his 1979 role as Tobias Ragg in Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street...
originated the role of Tobias in the original Broadway performance of Sondheim's musical in 1979. - Michael StaniforthMichael StaniforthMichael Staniforth , born in Selly Oak, Birmingham, was a British stage actor who entertained both children and adults alike as ghostly jester Timothy Claypole, a mischievous medieval poltergeist, in the long-running BBC children's television comedy series Rentaghost...
played Tobias in the 1980 London Production. - Neil Patrick HarrisNeil Patrick HarrisNeil Patrick Harris is an American actor, singer, director, and magician.Prominent roles of his career include the title role in Doogie Howser, M.D., Colonel Carl Jenkins in Starship Troopers, the womanizing Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother, a fictionalized version of himself in the Harold...
played Tobias in the 2001 concert version of the musical. - Manoel FelcianoManoel FelcianoManoel Felciano is an American actor, singer, and songwriter. He is best known for playing Tobias Ragg in the 2005 Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, for which he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical...
played Tobias in the 2005 revival of the musical. - Edmund Bagnell played Tobias in the 2005 Revival tour.
- Edward SandersEd Sanders (actor)Edward Sanders is an English actor and singer. He is best known for his performance as Tobias Ragg in the 2007 film Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. He was also featured on the film's soundtrack....
played Tobias in the 2007 film.