Jesus Christ Superstar – Palace Theatre, Manchester and Touring

Hannah Richardson and Ian McIntosh in Jesus Christ Superstar at the Palace Theatre, Manchester and Touring. Picture: Paul Coltas

Jesus Christ Superstar continues at the Palace Theatre, Manchester until 23 September 2023. The production then tours until 17 August 2024 (with more dates to be announced).

Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

When this bold, brutal reimagining of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s seminal biblical rock opera opened at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in 2016 it blew audiences away, wowing critics and breathing fresh life into the then almost 50-year-old show. It returned a year later, winning the Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival in the process, and then again in 2020, in a stripped-down version that triumphantly reopened the Regent’s Park venue after lockdown. Partially making up for the sins of the unloved 2012 concert arena version (featuring, lest we forget, Chris Moyles as Herod) it was, by all accounts, a miraculous resurrection – somewhat ironic, when you consider that Rice’s book famously, and rather controversially, stops short of depicting Jesus coming back from the dead.

So the question for this UK touring production is whether it can capture the invigorating magic of the original open-air experience within a more traditional theatre space.

Happily, the answer is a resounding yes. Director Timothy Sheader and designer Tom Scutt have remounted and retooled their show to perfection. Committing wholeheartedly to the early ’70s rock stylings of Lloyd Webber’s score means that the songs have never sounded better. And, from the opening bars of his bracingly discordant Overture, impeccably played by musical director Michael Riley’s 10-piece onstage band, to the harrowingly bloody horrors of its closing sections, this is musical theatre at its most visceral and vital.

This is partly because Sheader’s production leans so heavily into the show’s origins as a concept album. The songs keep coming, barely pausing for breath, with Rice’s lyrics sparingly telling the story of Jesus’ final days through the emotions of the characters, and largely from Judas’ perspective, without bogging down the action with historical context or unnecessary explanation. In fact, half a century on, it is still remarkable how the show lets Jesus’ story speak for itself, concentrating on how hero worship can be taken to tragic extremes rather concerning itself with whether Jesus was really the son of God or not.

That it unfolds with such clarity is mainly down to Scutt’s imposing multi-layered static set, with its precarious platforms made from girders and towering, cut-out crucifix shape looming over proceedings. It’s a sandbox into which the action can seamlessly play out, with the impressive ensemble dance numbers, inventively choreographed by Drew McOnie, using every inch of the space and even finding room for Megan Bryony G’s jerkily effective solo vignettes. Meanwhile, ingeniously deployed mic stands and microphones give the show a raucous, rough-and-ready rock concert feel. The movement of the cast is just one of the show’s many memorable visual elements, which include a cheeky re-creation of Leonardo da Vinci’s painting of The Last Supper and – most notably – Judas’ hands being dipped in silver paint to represent his betrayal of Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.

Vocally, the performances of the central trio of Jesus, Judas and Mary are exemplary. But it’s the emotion and anguish they convey through the songs that lift it into divine territory. The standard is so uniformly excellent that it is hard to pick out particular songs as standouts, although Hannah Richardson’s heart-breaking delivery of Mary’s Act I showstopper ‘I Don’t Know How to Love Him’ and Ian McIntosh’s stunning performance of ‘Gethsemane’ as Jesus come close. McIntosh also interacts touchingly with Shem Omari James’ powerfully voiced Judas, often conveying more with a glance and a hug than any dialogue could.

Into all of this, casting a performer like Julian Clary into the role of Herod could have been a tonal misstep. But – aside from a few catty asides – Clary is savvy enough not to pull focus and acquits himself admirably, sing-speaking his way entertainingly through ‘King Herod’s Song’ and giving his character a suitably sinister and supercilious air.

The comparative levity of Clary’s appearance makes the horrors of what follows even more shocking. The depiction of Jesus’ dehumanising treatment at the hands of the mob might be too much for the more sensitive theatregoers, but it’s Pilate’s attempts to persuade Jesus to give it all up in ‘Trial Before Pilate/39 Lashes’ (imploringly sung by Ryan O’Donnell as Pilate) that hit hardest. After the brutality of the crucifixion, unflinchingly depicted with soldiers using electric drills to attach Jesus to the cross, the show ends on a welcome moment of quiet calm with Jesus and Judas sat silently next to each other.

It’s one of a multitude of clever stylistic choices that make this such a heavenly revival.

Chris Bartlett