This isn’t a sponsored post.
BrumHour saw Jesus Christ Superstar at Birmingham Hippodrome.
For Brum Radio’s Interval Theatre, Ian McIntosh spoke about playing the title role in the UK Tour of Jesus Christ Superstar. Listen below:
By Dave Massey twitter.com/BrumHour
This production features inferred torture.
Review: Jesus Christ Superstar at Birmingham Hippodrome
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Fantastic!
Directed by Timothy Sheader, music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice.
Retelling the days leading up to the Crucifixion this rock opera follows Jesus (Ian McIntosh) through events that culminate in that shocking moment.
Told over almost two hours (including 20-minute interval) This production features just a couple of sentences of actual dialogue, being mostly told through movement, vocals and music. I loved seeing the visuals of this powerful and complex story which features slick choreography, and stunning moments.
Ian McIntosh is excellent as Jesus and some of the moments in his portrayal are heart-breaking. Shem Omari James shows off his confident vocals too as Judas and Louise Francis is stunning as Mary (at this performance) with her personal moments pulling the audience close.
As well as depicting religious events the story also has a stark parable interpretation about how media and culture consume people.
This is part gig-part immersive story as the audience becomes further drawn into this world. The accents in the vocals are very London adds to the idea that this is a gig without a direct connection to events. The post-industrial static set features just one moving piece which is a huge cross hanging over the floor of the stage. Jesus Christ Superstar has a long history from its 1970s beginnings which impacts on theatre even today and it is great to see and feel those impacts directly in this production.
A Fantastic production! Jesus Christ Superstar is at Birmingham Hippodrome until 27th April 2024. Book tickets here: birminghamhippodrome.com/calendar/jesus-christ-superstar-two.
