The Soundmap Sweeney Todd Audiowalk - Review

The Soundmap Sweeney Todd Audiowalk

The walk was created to celebrate the release of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street starring Johnny Depp and features music from the film, audio clips and an exclusive interview with the film's director, Tim Burton. The film is now available on DVD.

1. A bit obvious this, but do wear comfortable shoes.
2. Be aware of your surroundings. London is a busy city. Make sure you stop against a wall and not near the curb when listening to your audio guide.
3. Take spare batteries for your CD player or MP3 player.
4. Don't forget your camera - and some spare batteries!

Pros

• Good for independent travelers
• Don't have to wait for other people
• Can always hear the guide
• Can walk at your own pace
• Can stop anywhere you choose

Cons

• Can't ask questions like you can with a 'live' tour guide
• Can't share the experience with others

Top Toilet Tip:
The walk starts from Temple tube station. If you need a toilet before setting off, turn right out of Temple station and walk down to the Embankment Galleries entrance of Somerset House where there have free toilets inside.

The audiowalk only covers a small area of the City of London around Fleet Street and you'll discover the important locations in the Sweeney Todd story. Whether his legend is the truth we'll never know but it seems at least some of the story is based on factual reports.

As ever, Soundmap have produced an excellent audiowalk with superb atmospheric sounds and descriptions. At one point I even looked over my shoulder as the sounds were so well done!

The audio guide is suitably creepy and screamish for such a tale and will appeal to those who want to find out more about Sweeney Todd as well as others who would like to know more about this area of London.

That's another plus point of this audiowalk -- as well as discovering the locations of the key places in the Sweeney Todd legend, you'll also find out more about London in Victorian times, how the streets you'll walk down would have looked and sounded, and about the printing history of Fleet Street. I've always been amazed by the amount of interesting places to see in this area including the Twinings Tea Shop, Prince Henry's Room, and Dr. Johnson's House.

This professionally-produced audiowalk includes extracts from Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and interviews with key actors, as well as Tim Burton, the Director.

The route is well-planned and includes only safe crossings. I love the tiny back alleys and twists and turns in this part of the City of London and this audiowalk took me down alleys I'd never ventured into before.

Do stop and say hello to the Hoares Bank doorman when you're opposite the location of Sweeney Todd's Barber Shop. We talked about the Sweeney Todd tales and he was able to tell me even more about the area.

Conclusion:
Do you know what a 'pea souper' is? Or which church is the Romanian Orthodox Church in London? And which City of London church was used as the inspiration for the classic tiered wedding cake? Well these questions are all answered on this audiowalk as well as the chance to try and imagine the time of Sweeney Todd by walking around the locations he frequented while having an atmospheric backdrop. Soundmap have done it again -- another excellent audiowalk of an interesting area of London.