Lights and Sound: The Sweeney Todd Steam Whistle

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The Sweeney Todd Steam Whistle

Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Lights and Sound
Forum Discription: Technical discussion
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3355
Printed Date: 5/06/25 at 7:54am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: The Sweeney Todd Steam Whistle

Posted By: kaelidancer
Subject: The Sweeney Todd Steam Whistle
Date Posted: 8/14/08 at 10:34am

Hi guys :)

I'm directing a production of Sweeney Todd this fall. I'm partial to the original cast, and I love the jarring steam whistle. It would be simple enough to find myself one, and run an air compressor to it, but... by all accounts, the whistle used in the original production was "ear shatteringly loud", and our space is considerably smaller than theirs was. :) The sound should be jarring, but definitely not deafening. Putting it somewhere backstage to control the stage volume is a concern, because of proximity to actors and crew. It'd be no good doing a Sondheim show if my cast can't hear past the ringing in their ears!

We've thought about using an electronic sound, but I've always been biased against that when live sound effects are possible. So I'm here looking for live alternatives to an actual steam whistle. For those of you not familiar with the sound I refer to, you can hear it here: http://ru.youtube.com/watch?v=0ncvaAIeEDA - (Youtube) It's about 30 seconds in.

Has anyone done this show with a live whistle? If so, what did you use?

Thanks bundles!
Kaeli

Replies:

Posted By: kaelidancer
Date Posted: 9/11/08 at 9:55pm

An update: I found a steam whistle today! These guys had one in their Ebay store:

http://livesteamcalibration.ieasysite.com/ - http://livesteamcalibration.ieasysite.com/
http://stores.ebay.com/akrailways -
http://stores.ebay.com/akrailways

It's a scale model whistle, so it's pretty tiny, but he sounded it for me over the phone and it has just the shrill, screeching tone that Sweeney Todd needs. The whistle was $45, and for another $20 they'll custom-fit it to my air compressor's hose. Pretty sweet deal, and the owner was very helpful on the phone. Just posting it here for the benefit of other productions, as the information was sadly absent on the 'net when I was researching it.

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Kaeli Gardner
Johnson City Community Theatre
http://www.jcct.us - www.jcct.us
http://www.gardnerarts.com - www.gardnerarts.com

Posted By: JoeMc
Date Posted: 9/11/08 at 11:40pm

You could always dowse or baffle the air whistle sound to make it more of comfortable environment backstage. The air model sounds like a great option.

However me thinks the steam whistle, would be from Steam Packet Boats on the Thames, near the Fleet Street area. As most of the steam powered factories of the time, were in the Midlands & not London. Thus the sound would be a far distance away from where the show takes place.
One thing from the video, which always amazes me, is how clean the great unwashed of the time are?

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[western] Gondawandaland
"Hear the light & see the sound!
TOI TOI CHOOKAS
{may you always play to a full house!}