Even Twickenham Theatre founder Tony Green admits he has to pinch himself when he considers how well his fringe playhouse has been received.

The intimate venue, next to Regal House in London Road, is on the site of the old Loft nightclub and has attracted theatre goers in their droves since opening this year.

In fact, the haunting yet outstanding Sweeney Todd has been so popular among fans and critics, all remaining performances were sold out before five more dates were added to the schedule.

For founder and chief executive Mr Green, the man who turned his vision into a reality, he is overjoyed that Twickenham finally has space for theatre to be performed.

He said: "It was clear to me that Twickenham did not have performance space for successful people and performance companies to work.

"And if you wanted to and watch theatre, you had to travel outside of the town and go to Hampton Hill, Kingston or Richmond.

"There is Mary Wallace [Theatre], who do Shakespeare productions, but it is a bit of a closed shop for industry artists to use - as a Twickenham resident, I wanted there to be the space in my own town."

After identifying the London Road site, Mr Green has put in the hard graft and the finance to make it work.

Mr Green added: "Myself and everyone involved in Sweeney Todd have been a bit taken aback by all the fantastic reviews - it surpassed our expectations.

"Obviously the next question is what comes next, and that is something I have some ideas for but cannot reveal just yet."

Mr Green admits he has no long-term plan for the theatre and he will not be drawing inspiration from Richmond’s Orange Tree Theatre, which grew from above a pub to what it is today.

He said: "I don’t know what the future holds, I just want to keep it going for as long as I can - if the opportunity arises to take it somewhere else and bigger in Twickenham, we will look at it."

For tickets, visit twickenhamtheatre.com.

Sweeney Todd: A cut above the rest - Review 

It is easy to see why Twickenham Theatre's production of Sweeney Todd has become the most talked about show in London fringe theatre.

Olivier Award winner David Bedella gives a chilling performance as the eponymous barbe; sullen and intense throughout.

It would be unjust not to heap praise on all nine cast members but particular mention must be given to Sarah Ingram, who plays Mrs Lovett.

The grisly pie shop owner amuses and haunts in equal measure, and is surely the star of the performance.

I had never seen Sweeney Todd performed on stage, nor the Johnny Depp film, but I do not feel my first taste could have been more intimate and wonderful than David Adkin's interpretation.

Twickenham Theatre, heaving and cramped, was the perfect venue for such a play - with blood, albeit fake, literally splattering against the walls as well as the audience's faces.

It will be interesting see what they do next, but anyone who has been to see the demon barber's story unfold will know they have seen something special.