Review: Jesus Christ Superstar, Palace Theatre, Manchester

Iconic performances from an amazing cast

Jesus Christ Superstar by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber

By Ken Powell

It is difficult to go wrong with Jesus Christ Superstar if you’ve got a strong cast and brilliant production team. That was evident in spades at Manchester’s Palace Theatre last night. The audience were held spellbound by Regent Park Theatre’s launch of their new tour.

If you’re a Lloyd Webber fan than you’re going to enjoy this show. If you’re a Jesus Christ Superstar fan then doubly so. The show has all the sparkle and glitter you might expect from such an extravaganza. The entire team revel in the glorious over-the-top character of the whole thing. You can’t help but love it.

While Ian McIntosh performs the titular role with great aplomb, his character is somewhat overshadowed by two other characters. Shem Omari James plays a troubled Judas who clearly loves the man but is increasingly angry at the danger his supposed deity poses. We get a sympathetic portrayal of a man who can’t wash the silver off his hands, as it were. But the show is very much stolen, at least in the first act, by Mary Magdalene. The gorgeous Hannah Richardson gives a beautiful, soulful performance and her every moment on the stage is mesmerising. These two are the glue holding it all together.

Then there is, of course, Julian Clary – the reason a good number of people came to see the show at all. Clary is simply iconic Clary and his brief time on the stage is, in many ways. a momentary return to the performer of years ago. Has he been forgotten? Clearly not. The audience drank in his presence and Clary left them wanting more. This much-loved performer brought the house to its feet at the end of the show.

It’s an odd concept, Jesus Christ Superstar – and controversial in its day. Rice and Lloyd Webber present very much Jesus the Man, not the God. He is weak and pushed around, given to restrained rage and confusion. Back in the 70s, with the last vestiges of social religiosity, this caused an outrage. Now, does it even raise a murmur of discontent? Probably not. Surely then, some of the punch originally intended has gone.

For some, this is a problem for Lloyd Webber in the modern age. Much of the material he was using in his glory days is now no longer understood or cared about fifty years later. When no one reads T.S, Eliot any longer, how can Cats make any sense? When most of your audience is unchurched, how can the Passion story be remotely comprehensible? And so on. Then there is the fact that music that was new and exciting back then is now, naturally, a little tame and yesteryear.

It was obvious that last night that none of this was a problem. The audience drank in every song, every scene and thunderously applauded at every opportunity. While we all rose to our feet to to roar approval at Julian Clary at the curtain call, there was little excuse needed to do so. The crowd loved every second and appreciated the cast and musicians for the pleasure they had brought. Lloyd Webber clearly has not lost his touch yet and there’s no reason to suppose this will be any different when the show leaves the Palace Theatre and tours elsewhere.

We all still want a little Lloyd Webber in our lives, it seems. Quite right too.

Jesus Christ Superstar is showing at the Palace Theatre until Saturday 23 September 2023. To find out more and book tickets click here