Fifty-four years on from its original Broadway run, a new production of the musical Jesus Christ Superstar is in town thanks to the skill and hard work of local amateur theatre group Oxford Operatic Society (OXOPS). ‘It’s a musical to really get your teeth into’ OXOPS’ Jesus Christ Superstar, the iconic rock opera, comes to Oxford Playhouse
And as well as being at the Oxford Playhouse, we (the audience) are simultaneously in three different time-zones: AD33 of course as the musical focuses on the last, tumultuous year of Jesus’ life, the early 1970s due to the prog-rock, Deep Purple-y delivery of the music by a very capable and up-for-it in-house band, and 2025 where not much has really changed in terms of populist leaders, protests and brutal clampdowns.
The mesmerising opening broadcast of a film of Jesus’ (Guy Grimsley) rising to prominence alongside an ominously posturing real-life Herod (Nicola Taylor), is an ingenious, novel yet simple trick which brings us right into the action, setting the scene perfectly for the murderous tale that ensues.
If a little stilted and cautious on opening night, our de facto narrator Judas (Andy Blagrove) taking a while to find his voice as he moved around the silver scaffolding towers and walkways which comprised the set, midway through Act One, the cast began to find its collective feet with ‘Hosanna’ as the chaste-looking Mary Magdalene (Hannah Veale) sang a moving ‘I don’t know how to love him’.
The tension and excitement continues to build throughout Act Two, as Jesus neared his fate. There were standout turns from a pantomimey, vision-in-purple Pontius Pilate (Greig McDonald) singing ‘Pilate and Christ’ and Nicola Taylor’s Herod singing a show-stopping ‘King Herod’s Song’ when the whole show took a surreal left-turn into a burlesque/cabaret, chorus-girl fever-dream, which was hugely enjoyable if totally batty.
Ironically, the suitably gory flogging scene, Judas’ suicide and a silver-scaffolding crucifixion, all made for a bizarrely uplifting end to the show.
Jesus Christ Superstar is a very bonkers musical but intriguingly also a very human one, and OXPOPS was ultimately successful in delivering these key traits, and keeping us all entertained right to the bitter end.
Edward Bliss
Jesus Christ Superstar is at Oxford Playhouse until Sunday July 13. Book here https://www.oxfordplayhouse.com/events/jesus-christ-superstar
