| Mrs. Lovett | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Real Name |
Nellie Lovett |
|
First Appearance |
The String of Pearls (1846-1847) |
|
Original Publisher |
Edward Lloyd |
|
Created by |
James Malcolm Rymer (Possibly) Thomas Peckett Prest (Possibly) |
Origin[]
A baker from London, Mrs. Lovett is an accomplice and business partner of Sweeney Todd, a barber and serial killer from Fleet Street. She makes meat pies from Todd’s victims.
First appearing in the Victorian penny dreadful serial The String of Pearls, it is debated if she was based on an actual person or not.
In every version of the story in which she appears, Mrs. Lovett is the business partner and accomplice of barber and serial killer Sweeney Todd; in some versions, she is also his lover. She makes and sells meat pies made from Todd's victims.
Although Mrs. Lovett's character and role in the story are similar in each version, certain details vary according to the story's interpretation. In some versions, for example, Mrs. Lovett commits suicide when their crimes are discovered, while in others, Todd kills her himself or she is arrested and escapes execution by turning King's Evidence against Todd.
Her physical appearance varies from a slim and alluring beauty to a plump, homely lunatic. Her age is also differing in many adaptations; though it is never specifically stated in any versions, there are some (most noticeably in Sondheim's musical) where she is older than Todd, often by a difference of over fifteen years and others where she is around his age. Whether their relationship is platonic, romantic, or merely sexual also varies according to interpretation.
Public Domain Appearances[]
All published appearances of Mrs. Lovett from before January 1, 1931 are public domain in the US.
Some notable appearances are listed below:
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
- The String of Pearls (1846-1847)
Public Domain Theatrical Appearances[]
- The String of Pearls, or The Fiend of Fleet Street (1847)
Public Domain Film Appearances[]
- Sweeney Todd (1926)
- Sweeney Todd (1928)
Notes[]
- Her first name is most commonly referred to as Nellie, although she has also been referred to as Amelia, Margery, Maggie, Sarah, Shirley, Wilhelmina, Mary and Claudetta.