ELGIN — Meat pies will be available in Elgin as the demon barber of fleet street and his macabre companions haunt the Jewel Theater this month.

“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” is a Stephen Sondheim musical that revolves around Todd’s quest for revenge against the judge who wronged him and the people who enter Todd’s sphere during his quest.

The play runs Oct. 4-26 at the Jewel Theatre at 831 Alder St., Elgin. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Fridays, and 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays. Find details and purchase tickets at www.elginoperahouse.com.

The show deals with heavy topics but with a touch of dark humor, and the cast refers to the production as “dark but funny” and “tastefully offending.” Director Grant Turner agreed.

“The film I think played it very serious, very straight and very dark, but we have found that, while all those elements exist and are true, there is a delicious macabre-ness to this play as well, which allows it to be a little funnier and a little more charming as a result,” Turner said. “I think it can live in that world. It’s a hard play to say no to.”

Although it is a musical, “Sweeney Todd” has a different tone than most musicals performed in Elgin at either the Jewel Theater or the Elgin Opera House.

“I think this is a fairly safe way to dip our toe in the pool of doing more mature, doing more challenging musical theater in Elgin,” Turner said. “I think one of the advantages to us as a company, particularly with my skill sets, that we will do it in such a way that it will intellectually challenge an audience without shocking, offending or alienating the audience.”

Most of the 18-person cast jumped at the opportunity to perform in “Sweeney Todd.”

“I rarely do musicals at all, but when I heard we were doing ‘Sweeney,’ I was like, ‘I would like to be in this show.’ I didn’t really care what part, but I wanted to be involved,” actor Logan Flynn said.

The show is also against the norm for Jeannette Smith, who plays Mrs. Nellie Lovett, the proprietress of a meat shop and Todd’s landlady. The character of Mrs. Lovett is darker than Smith’s typical characters.

“I love the challenge. I was really thrilled that they thought of me for the role of Mrs. Lovette,” Smith said. “I’ve loved preparing for this character and going to a darker place. Instead of going into a lovely singing voice, the Mary Poppins style, going into a harsher, brasher, still hopefully on pitch but different sound. It’s been really fun playing with vocal color.”

Shahayla Ononaiye plays Joanna, Todd’s daughter. She said she enjoys listening to and working with, the different singers and actors in the production.

“I feel like a lot of actresses play that role as very dark, very scary. Jeannette really brings out her need to be loved and humor,” she said.

The title role of Sweeney Todd is being performed by Brent Smith.

“I think the message of the show is, ‘learn forgiveness and try to forget,’” Brent Smith said. “Believe it or not, that is the message of the tragedy.”

Smith said he was attracted to the show because the music in “Sweeney Todd” is iconic.

“It’s some of the most fun musical theater music to sing and to listen to for the audience,” Smith said.

In the smaller Jewel Theater, the music will fill the space, and the audience will be able to be up close and personal with the performance. There is, however, no need for a blood splash zone.

“If someone says, ‘I don’t want to see this play because the sight of blood revolts me,’ I think they’ll be okay,” he said. “I think people will be surprised that it’s funnier, more charming than they realize.”

Keeping in that tongue-in-cheek manner, there will be pies available for purchase during the opening weekend.