Sweeney Todd "I'll polish him off". Lloyd published another, lengthier, penny part serial from 1847–48, with 92 episodes. It was then published in book form in 1850 as "The String of Pearls", subtitled "The Barber of Fleet Street. A Domestic Romance". This expanded version of the story was 732 pages long. A plagiarised version of this book appeared in the United States c. 1852–53 as "Sweeney Todd: or the Ruffian Barber. A Tale of Terror of the Seas and the Mysteries of the City" by "Captain Merry" (a pseudonym for American author Harry Hazel, 1814–89). In 1865 the French novelist Paul H.C.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street to Sondheim, "Your show is not called 'Nellie Lovett', it's called 'Sweeney Todd'. And I'm the second banana." To convince her, Sondheim "auditioned," writing a couple of songs for her, including the macabre patter song, "A Little Priest." And he gave her the key to the character, saying "I want Mrs. Lovett to have a music hall character." Lansbury, who had grown up in British music hall, immediately got it. "Not just music hall ... but dotty music hall", as she put it. After she was formally confirmed in the role, she relished the opportunity, saying that she loved "the