Jesus Christ Superstar

Thomson-Leng Musical Society's staging of Jesus Christ Superstar proved a dynamic and compelling evening of theatre, delivering both the rock-opera spectacle and the human drama at the heart of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s classic work.

The undoubted highlights of this production were the vocal performances of Jesus played by Robbie Lamond and Judas played by Robert Oakes, who brought power and precision to some incredibly complicated and challenging numbers. Mary Magdalene played by Emily Easton song’s in contrast, have an almost naïve simplicity, but they were nevertheless memorably delivered. These principal characters were supported in telling this story by Caiphas played by Nick Browne, Annas played by Lucy Reilly, Peter played by Michael Sanderson, Simon played by Rachel Hogg, Pilate played by Paul J. Creegan and Herod played by Christie Young. One of the things that sets Thomson-Leng Musical Society apart from others is the strength and talent of the ensemble, and the individual lines scattered through the score were sung accurately and confidently without exception. 

The direction and set design from Donna Bell, provided a versatile and visually striking environment that adapted effectively to the story’s varied settings. I particularly liked the used of the fly system for the cross at the end. It gave the overall impact to the final scene and added that professional feel to the crucifixion.

The decision to bring the band onto stage and to have them as part of the set gave the show a unique and immersive feel, bringing the music into the heart of the performance and overall production. The band’s performance under the direction of Billy Muir was tight, expressive and never overpowering the vocals but continued to drive the emotion forward. This was supported by the excellent sound mixing provided by Accent Audio.

The ensemble choreography provided by Jenni Main was notably strong, with good energy and well-coordinated movement throughout. Their choreography was sharp, contributing to the sense of rising tension and crowd hysteria central to the narrative.

The lighting design provided by Morven Cooney from PC Lighting played a vital role in shaping the mood of the production. Simplistic and well-timed changes complemented the music and narrative beautifully whether covering the stage to highlight the full action or the impact of the movers and well positioned static lights during the crucifixion always giving the right feel for the scene.

As you would expect, the show was presented to the high standards which have become synonymous with Thomson-Leng Musical Society over many years, congratulations on another wonderful production.

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