Sam Ryder leads a high-octane revival of Jesus Christ Superstar at the London Palladium, in a production that prioritises spectacle and volume over nuanced characterisation. The rock opera, by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, is staged by the same team behind the acclaimed 2016 revival: director Tim Sheader, designer Tom Scutt, and choreographer Drew McOnie. Scutt's set again features a scaffold structure, this time with some audience members standing around it.
Production returns to 1970s hippy roots
The production draws on both the first-century story of Jesus of Nazareth and the 1970s hippy era from which the original show emerged. Glitter is liberally used on stage, but the real star power comes from Sam Ryder as Jesus, sporting a man-bun and floaty shirt. Tyrone Huntley reprises his Olivier-nominated role as Judas, portraying a brooder who believes Jesus has let fame go to his head.
Jesse Tyler Ferguson plays a camped-up Herod, bringing a Drag Race aesthetic with a trailing gold gown for 'King Herod's Song'. The role will be performed by a rotation of celebrities including Boy George, Layton Williams, and Julian Clary during the run—a crowd-pulling tactic typical of West End shows.
Sound overwhelms emotional drama
The first impression is the overwhelming sound, described as containing 'Greek levels of melodrama'. The production maintains a single, fever-pitched high throughout, which flattens the emotional drama. Despite this, the signature song 'Superstar' and the vocal performances of Ryder and Huntley are highlights. Rock and electric guitar interweave with choral church music, jazz, and gospel. Ryder receives a standing ovation for 'Gethsemane', Jesus's confrontation with God.
However, characterisation is less satisfying. Ryder's Jesus does not come across as the dangerous revolutionary that the temple High Priest Caiaphas (Bob Harms) perceives, but rather as a nice guy verging on bland. Huntley emotes better alongside the songs but the friction between the two central players does not ignite dramatically. Ryder's portrayal is so woolly that it is unclear what Jesus stands for, making it difficult to pinpoint exactly what Judas dislikes—whether Jesus has gone too far or not far enough. Judas suggests Jesus has lost sight of Judea's Roman occupation and surrounding poverty, but these eternal questions remain unresolved in the characterisation.
Volume obscures lyrics and context
The high volume often makes lyrics unclear. Ryder attempts to bring down his voice at times, but then his words become a too-soft murmur. The stripped-back set design renders some scenes abstract, such as Jesus's attack on trade at the temple. The ensemble is choreographed into feverish delirium or devotion, potentially representing early church members or American mega-churches, but the milieu never fully escapes its nostalgic hippy-dom, partly inspired by the 1973 psychedelic film.
Mary Magdalene (Desmonda Cathabel) remains reminiscent of a flower child, anodyne and there to soothe Jesus. Her songs, like 'I Don't Know How to Love Him', are full of soupy romance—a missed opportunity for a transgressive biblical character. The story is set in a non-specific time without enough context to charge it. The audience standing on the stage never feels integrated or implicated as the crowds that betray or support Jesus on his way to the cross. The violence of his end is captured with imaginative use of glitter, but the focus is squarely on spectacle and sound.
Despite these flaws, fans of Sam Ryder will likely love the production. Jesus Christ Superstar runs at the London Palladium until 5 September.
