Jesus Christ Superstar
Lloyd Webber’s operatic take on the final week of Jesus’ life rocks the opening-night audience at Royal Sutton Coldfield’s Town Hall.
In an ambitious choice, Sutton Coldfield Musical Theatre Company combine vocal power and emotional intensity to deliver a compelling production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’. The 38-strong cast bring energy, conviction and style to this biblical story of faith, doubt, love and devotion.
Under Simon Smith’s direction, the production’s focus on the abuse of power continues to resonate more than 50 years after the show’s first performance in 1971. “I wanted to focus on how people can be puppets to those in power and how often we have no control of our own fate,” Smith explains. Projections onto a large screen at the back of the stage work well, transporting us between locations and evoking a range of moods. The closing image of Christ on the cross is particularly striking.
Tom Wells combines strength with vulnerability in his portrayal of Jesus, delivering a commanding performance that anchors the production. His rendition of ‘Gethsemane’ in Act 2 is one of many standout moments, building from quiet anguish to a defiant cry of despair which connected powerfully with the opening night audience.
Told largely from his perspective, Leo Foëtu-Foster is perfectly cast as Judas Iscariot, carrying the production in the central role of Jesus’ betrayer. Vocally powerful and emotionally intense, he commands the stage from the opening number ‘Heaven on their Minds’, effectively establishing Judas as a conflicted figure. There is excellent chemistry with Tom Wells, adding intensity to their shared scenes. His performance of the show’s title number, ‘Superstar’, supported by an excellent ensemble cast, provides the highlight of the evening.
Juliet Fisher was in rehearsals for the show when covid struck back in 2020. Her Mary Magdalene is worth the wait: she brings both warmth and tenderness to the iconic role of Jesus’ devout follower. Capturing the confusion and inner conflict of a woman struggling to understand the nature of her connection to Jesus, her performance of ‘I Don’t Know How to Love Him’ is both beautifully pitched and moving.
Other notable performances include Tony Orbell as a gold-suited Herod, Jamie Wilson as Simon the zealot and Mark Skett as Pilate. Maggie Jackson’s choreography is precise and energetic, supporting a vocally strong full company (all superstars) across the full range of musical numbers. The live orchestra, under conductor and musical director Sheila Pearson, is a note-perfect joy to hear in the Town Hall. Any successful staging of a musical relies on the skill of musicians: Andrew Lloyd Webber’s score is brought to life in style.
A bold, heartfelt production from an amateur theatre company bursting with talent. Highly recommended.
‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ is playing at the Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Hall from 4th to 8th November.
