Jesus Christ Superstar

This company is fortunate to be able to draw on the skills and expertise of professionals to direct and choreograph, to help coach the singing and design the set, and to provide musical accompaniment for the cast. The young people who gave up their time to commit to rehearsing and performing a musical of this scale are to be thanked, and every one of them applauded, for the energy they brought to the stage and their wholehearted involvement in creating believable characters that sustained throughout. It’s all very well having the professional backing but they have to deliver in front of the audience!

The voices were strong and confident, tuneful and surprisingly mature. I really found it hard to believe that 14&15 year olds could produce such a range. Although the singers were young, they captured their powerful top-notes with a conviction that many adults would fail to achieve, and the facial expressions, the body language, the total, 'I am living this', were extremely moving. As was the sensitive staging and singing of the haunting 'I Don’t Know How To Love Him', and at the other end of the emotional spectrum Herod was in his element prancing about and teasing in a most comical fashion. The steely voices of the Priests were suitably threatening as they encouraged Judas, with their intimidating eye contact fixed on their prey, to betray his leader.

Spatial awareness was evident as the ensemble moved with ease around the large stage, maintaining their personal spacing and natural groupings. They reacted facially and physically to what they heard and saw, and were actively involved with their immediate neighbours on the periphery when the main action was central and their awareness of others was well demonstrated. In fact, the stagecraft exhibited by these young people was exemplary and is testament to a regular attendance at workshops and rehearsals. This was also demonstrated by their focus on the performance – no looking at nearby cast for a reminder of what comes next, everyone knowing all the words of all the songs, and no gazing out to find family members in the audience. 

I found the genuine sensitivity to the essence of what was being portrayed by everyone on stage most enthralling, with dynamics in both movement and voice. The fight scenes, whilst professionally choreographed, were executed with an apparent aggression that was most convincing in the strength of movement and the hate behind the expressions.   There was a frightening contrast between the gaiety and love underlying Hosanna – warmth in the voices and lightness in the movements, and the malicious baying of the crowd, 'We Need Him Crucified', at The Trial – cold, odious chanting and deep thrusting violent moves.

I hope everyone will forgive me and understand my giving a special mention to Jesus himself. What a performance! And from one so young. His total commitment to living everything to which this character is subjected was quite exceptional. There was no holding back, fear of overdoing it or underplaying it, or of looking foolish. It was a naked portrayal of the very soul of this man and his sufferings and I have not seen such an hypnotic or drawn out agony as he hung on the cross. Despite the fact that I could clearly see he was holding on to handles I was able to believe that this was what it was like to die of asphixiation. The young ensemble must take their share of the credit for the impact of this scene, motionless without a single side glance or snigger, as they watched to the final gasp, and then each in his own way reacting with guilt, disbelief, horror, grief, despair, prayer. To be seen so totally ‘in the moment’ is what transports an audience. I am in tears again writing it.

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