Can you perform a Broadway rock opera (and one of the longest-running West End musicals, to boot) in a small theatre, with a small cast, without glaring compromises?
If you haven’t seen or heard Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s superstar show, you have probably heard of it, and you more than likely know the iconic three chords from its most famous tune. But perhaps you feel that you don’t need to see another version of it. Maybe you’re a Lloyd Webber (or indeed a musical) sceptic, and the concept of sitting through two hours of his music (or a Biblical story) fills you with dread.
If you’re unfamiliar with that story, Superstar picks up the thread of Jesus (Michael Kholwadia)’s life in his last few days. But there’s an interesting twist – the focus is split pretty equally between him and Judas Iscariot (Max Alexander-Taylor).
The latter gets a refreshing (or controversial, depending on your beliefs) character arc here. He’s a believer in Jesus’s message, but feels that things are quickly spiralling out of control – it’s one thing to preach about improving the lives of the poor, but how can you deliver on that when you’re declaring yourself the son of God and inviting the wrath of the Romans down upon you and your followers?
Likewise, how can you stay on-message and convince people that you mean what you’re saying if you’re simultaneously hanging out with people who (scripturally speaking) aren’t necessarily on Heaven’s guest list?
There are shades of spin doctoring here (one is faintly reminded of Alistair Cambell), with Judas coming across as someone who’s utterly devoted to the cause but unsure whether the guy at the centre of it is more (or less) important than the cause itself. The absence of any miracles being performed means that the story is to an extent more about political and philosophical machinations – relevant to today’s world, and giving even non-believers something to ponder.
But how do you transfer a musical which has hitherto relied on big-budget productions to a smaller setting? The Watermill’s answer is to lean into and take full advantage of that setting. All the music is performed and sang by the actors; the entire theatre is transformed into a church; and part of the action takes place outdoors.
These might sound like trivial artistic choices, but think about it – seeing a blockbuster production from 50 rows back does rather separate one from the action, whereas here you’re right in the thick of things, sitting next to Jesus’s followers, up close and personal when those moments of doubt start to creep in. The Garden of Gethsemane is a key moment in the gospels, we’ve all read or heard about it – but it becomes so much more real when you’re sat in an actual garden with the disciples, eating and drinking just as they are.
I could go on, and talk about the stellar performances from every member of the cast, the way the exterior of the building is used in a key scene, or THAT musical number performed by Herod – but much of the magic here relies on your surprise and delight at the way this production has been made to work in this setting. I’d be spoiling things and robbing you of the joy of discovery. So I will simply close with this: here’s a production that’ll convert any doubters, and put existing believers right into the heart of the story. You do yourself a disservice if you miss it.
“Jesus Christ Superstar” runs to the 21st September; tickets can be booked at https://www.watermill.org.uk . Photos are courtesy of Pamela Raith.
