When you’re set to see a Lloyd Webber / Rice show and you’re a musicals fan, then you’re perhaps lulled into a false sense of security—and Jesus Christ Superstar is far from an exception to this rule. It’s the iconic and highly memorable rock opera with visceral lyrics that could move the most hardened of atheists.
Billed as a "reinvention for this Millennium", directed by Timothy Sheader (Crazy for You, Into the Woods) and choreographed by Drew McOnie (King Kong, Strictly Ballroom), this version was originally staged by London’s Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in 2016 and won the 2017 Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival.
The action takes its cues from the vocabulary of a live gig—microphone stands double as Roman pilums and croziers, while the actors use handheld and wired mics which they pass between them and use to punctuate their point—a la mic drop. Ian McIntosh’s Jesus is largely understated and pained in a way; unfortunately, that reminded me at times of that ‘stressed out Ben Affleck’ meme. But, when it came hitting those crucial notes, he is on the money every time, albeit perhaps better suited to a real gig setting at times.
That said, it is Judas (Shem Omari James) who is exceptional, and the absolute highlight of the show for me, delivering "Damned for All Time" with the full conviction of a man hurtling towards his inevitable fate.
I was very much looking forward to the light relief of "Herod’s Song" during act 2, and while understudy Stephen Lewis-Johnston brought his A-game, giant glittering codpiece and all, the comedic aspect of the character was, again, just too understated. It was overtly weird.
I last saw the show in the West End in my late teens with Steve Balsamo as Jesus, and that was a London show on a grand scale. So, while it stands to reason that the latest touring production would be scaled back in terms of staging, it is in fact altogether problematic. I’m unsure if it is simply a case of the set being too big for the venue, or some odd choices in terms of direction or choreography, but all the action is crammed into the left portion of the stage. Some of the actors even find themselves in the unfortunate position of having to perform, I am sure, entirely unintentionally, out of view.
And I am loath to say this, but for me, it simply didn’t work. The lack of space on stage—due in part to the intersection of the large metallic cross runway—detracted from the excellent work being put in by the actors. While I’m all for evolution and change, this is not the kind of change I wanted to see with this show.
The show is at the Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham until 10 August.