JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

Report

Author: Neil Hartley

Thomson Leng Musical Societies 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 e􀆯ectively 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.