my character breakdown of tobias ragg (in a nutshell, so far) as someone about to depict him onstage *(at a very small humble sub-professional community theatre)
there is a tragedy in the read that toby is just smart enough to detect todd but not enough to detect lovett, or too distracted to pick up on her true nature
there is also a tragedy in the read that toby is deceptively observant, aware of the trap he's walking into, but doing it anyways because he has no other options. its equally his fault for being compliant, and lovett's fault for underestimating / taking advantage of him.
he's a good liar. thats why pirelli chose him to shill elixers. but he's gotten too good, and his standards have gotten too low, that he's able to lie to himself. he's DESPERATE for validation and security, and if he pretends everything's okay, mrs lovett will provide it. he's the only one who tolerates her pies pre-murder. (maybe he's starving, or maybe he's just polite.) but i'm sure, even if she kept going with her original roadkill recipe, he would advertise the hell out of them.
when you grow up around bad people, you get good at detecting them. so, what do you do when youre thrust into a new environment, and you're scared and alone until someone BAD starts showing you the affection that you so desperately crave? a starving man will eat rotting meat. what about pirates who were at sea for months with nothing to eat but hardtack? what did they do when their only food supply is infested with bugs? they ate in the dark.
its something i can relate to, AND doesn't undermine the plot. that's how i keep my characters authentic.
AND THIS IS JUST THE FOUNDATION FOR THE GUTWRENCHING MOUNTAIN OF HOPELESS TRAGEDY THAT I HAVE PLANNED FOR "NOT WHILE IM AROUND". GOLLY. WHEN THEY LET ME DO CHARACTER WORK WITH THE DIRECTORS. GOL!! LY!!
