Godspell

Before the phenomenon of “Wicked”, composer Stephen Shwartz gave us a very different musical - “Godspell”. Based on the Gospel of Saint Matthew it is structured in a series of parables, climaxing with the crucifixion of Christ. Littered with beautiful songs it is much loved by a wide audience and despite being over 50 years old still pulls in the crowds. Evidence of this in show at TMD’s packed out opening performance.

Set in the round, a bold choice by Director Eric Smart, the audience were certainly close to the action. A raised stage area was used for the small but effective band led by MD Richard Langstone with a choir in situ to vocally support the cast. I appreciated the use of these different levels and it was a lovely choice to have additional singers there, too many more in the acting cast and it would have been too crowded.

Trinity Methodist Church itself was an ideal venue for this show. It’s not a “bells and whistles” type of production – it is more important that the performers can truly express the story itself and do the songs justice. An intimate venue like this was just right. For the most part I enjoyed the closeness to the performers as I really got to see some true feeling and emotion from cast members.

In the lead role of “Jesus” I did feel for Rob Jones. An announcement was made at the start to say he was suffering with a health issue meaning he is not allowed to sing or speak. This must have been an enormous challenge for all involved. But the talented Craig Stevens came to the rescue and sang the part beautifully from the side of the stage, giving a really emotive vocal performance while Rob was still able physically to act out the role. Credit to both of these men for handling a tricky situation so professionally. Rob I know is a very accomplished performer and I hope he recovers soon.

Supporting them Steve Patient as John/Judas did very well. Steve has a strong voice, usually suited to something a little more classical or operatic. I enjoyed his entrance song “Prepare Ye the Way of The Lord”. Steve has a really good stage presence, my only niggle here being he broke the fourth wall in a way I thought not suitable within the production – I don’t think speaking to an audience member directly using their first name was appropriate mid scene. But that is personal preference and perhaps something that would have worked if it had been a directorial choice with more of the cast doing this. But Steve sang well and gave the role commitment and passion.

Another notable performance came from Mark A. He was fully animated throughout and really gave so much energy, not just for his solo moments but within the ensemble too. Really well done.

The tricky thing with performing in the round is it is difficult for every member of the audience to see all the action all the time. I absolutely appreciated the bravery of this choice but at times it did mean some performers were masked by others. It also meant that we as an audience lost some combined vocals which was a shame, particularly knowing this group are so strong when singing collectively.

Lighting was fine, simple but effective and I liked the t shirts worn by the cast and choir. Jesus in a ring master jacket worked well, then changing to the red blazer was effective. Sound wasn’t great sadly, there was a lot of feedback during act 1, I think coming from a speaker on stage and I couldn’t hear the choir particularly well, although the bits I could hear sounded lovely.

The “last supper” was done well. I didn’t mind the modernised approach to it with Jesus greeting his disciples in modern variants. And when one disciple broke down fully it was very heart wrenching. I could see this was a special moment for the entire cast and it was handled sympathetically by all. Audience members being passed cups to drink from was a lovely touch. However, I would have chosen an alternative piece of set for the crucifixion. In this case a mobile clothes rail was used. I understand the difficulty given space constraints and the practicality of using something on wheels but I did find this an unusual choice. Perhaps if it had been dressed in some way it would have been more fitting. That said, the Cast acted this scene beautifully and credit again here to Rob for a good portrayal despite not being able to sing or speak.

Godspell is a beautiful show with lovely music and one I would like to see done more often. Well done to TMD for not only taking on the challenge but for approaching it with an interesting and modern take. There were some unusual musical additions that I wasn’t expecting – “The Birdie Song” and “Tomorrow” being unforgettable moments!

I had a very enjoyable evening and once again was impressed by the local talent in this district. Thank you to everyone involved, this show obviously meant a huge amount to those performing it and I am already looking forward to your next production.

 

 

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