Jesus Christ Superstar, Redditch Operatic Society
Redditch Palace Theatre, November 18
GIVEN this version of Jesus Christ Superstar was brought to the Palace Theatre stage by an operatic society, audiences would expect first-rate singing.
But the performances given by ROS, both individually and as an ensemble, were truly spectacular and made for a particularly enjoyable night.
Everyone knows how the story is going to end and most will be aware of the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice production so the challenge is to make a mark by providing stand-out performances. In this way, ROS certainly did not disappoint.
Leading man David Steele sent shivers up the spine with his powerful and emotive performance at more than one point during the night, with his voice more than proving why he was chosen to take the role of Jesus.
However, this was not just a one-man show and his counterpart Laurence Sutton as Judas was captivating every time he set foot on the stage. It is not often you root for the ‘bad guy’ in the show but Laurence brought a softness to the role which enabled the crowd to understand his reasonings for betraying Jesus.
Together the 12 disciples were a complete pleasure to listen to and both Paul Mitchell as Peter and Mark Williams as Simon shone in the roles as Jesus’ right-hand man. They played their roles well, providing the chance for the story to be told by creating a dialogue with Jesus and Judas – with Lisa Lilwall’s Mary added into the mix it was absolutely superb.
However, it was not all weeping over the demise of Christ, there were plenty of light moments in the show too – mainly when the stage was occupied by Tim Eagleton (Pontius Pilate), Matt Turner (Caiaphas) and John Reeves (Annas) backed by Sam Smith, Ryan Allen and Tony Lacey as the priests.
The biggest laugh of the night definitely went to Tony Jay whose portrayal of Herod was just excellent and the perfect antedote to the heavy subject of the script.
Credit must also go to the superb singers and dancers who were ever-present in the backdrop. There is little worse than an amazing principal cast being let down by an out of time or out of tune cast. To have such strong voices in the chorus line is a real credit to ROS and proves it must have been a difficult choice picking lead characters from the wealth of talent on offer.
Lastly, a mention for the most important prop in the show – the cross. If it had been designed badly it could have really let down the production but as it was, it was perfectly put together for the job at hand and provided a powerful way to end the show. The set itself was very simple but it needed to be so the cast could get on with what they do best – singing their hearts out.
Harriet Ernstsons
