Like The Book of Mormon, which has been running on Broadway for decades, Jesus Christ Superstar was a musical I had known about for a long time. However, because it dealt with religion, I had always hesitated to see it. I even avoided reading the synopsis before the performance. I expected it to be a straightforward retelling of the Bible, and only knew that it followed Judas' inner conflict and eventually the Crucifixion.

The story closely follows the Bible, from the Last Supper and the Eucharist to Judas' betrayal, Peter's three denials, Pilate's trial, and the Crucifixion. What surprised me was how modern the dialogue sounded. Instead of speaking in formal biblical language, the characters spoke in everyday English. As a result, Jesus and the twelve disciples felt less like distant biblical figures and more like ordinary people. When Jesus said that one of them would betray him, the disciples reacted with confusion and disbelief. The scene felt very natural.

The staging was more impressive than I expected. Originally staged at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, this production brings the atmosphere of a rock festival into the theatre.

The audience standing on the steel structure behind the stage probably had an even more immersive experience. The ensemble sang right in front of them, and at times Jesus or Judas seemed to be speaking directly to them. A regular seat was probably better for carefully watching the production, but standing there must have been quite exciting.

The band was divided across different parts of the two-level stage. The guitars and bass were in the centre, the strings were on the left, and the brass section was on the right. At times the ensemble climbed onto the structure and performed alongside the band, making the production feel even more like a live rock concert. I always try to find where the drummer is sitting whenever I watch a musical, but this time I could not finds where the drums were.

Handheld microphones, microphone stands, and long microphone cables were used not only as sound equipment but also as props that represented power, violence, and the relationships between the characters. The bright red microphone cables became a striking visual motif, reinforcing the production's recurring imagery of violence and sacrifice. When an actor grabbed a microphone and charged across the stage while the ensemble burst into dance, the auditorium instantly felt like a concert venue.

The sound design was also quite different from a typical West End musical. Large line-array speakers and delay speakers above the audience were used throughout the theatre, while concert-style lighting moved constantly across the steel structure above the stage. As soon as the performance began, the deep bass filled the auditorium. When the bass entered after the opening guitar riff, it was clear that I was watching a rock opera rather than a musical. The low frequencies were heavily boosted and the reverb was quite strong, but surprisingly, the lyrics remained easy to understand.

The performer who impressed me the most was unexpectedly Simon. Although he appeared only briefly, he dominated the stage with a powerful rock voice, hitting the high notes with ease. His role was small, but his presence was as strong as any of the leading performers.

Judas immediately sounded different from the rock vocals I had expected in the opening number, "Heaven on Their Minds." Billy Nevers used a breathy vocal style, natural bends, and expressive vibrato in the dialogue-like passages, giving him a sound closer to blues or R&B than traditional rock. At first I was a little surprised, but once the energetic singing and choreography of the ensemble joined in, I found myself naturally caught up in the performance. His emotional expression was excellent, although I felt he lacked a little power in the more aggressive rock numbers.

Mary Magdalene also used smooth phrasing and frequent vocal bends, giving her a vocal style that leaned more toward pop and R&B than the rougher sound usually associated with rock opera.

David Thaxton's Pilate also left a strong impression. Pilate is often seen as the villain, but in this production he was portrayed as a man caught between political pressure and the will of the crowd. Both when he ordered Jesus to be flogged and when he finally approved the execution, he looked like someone struggling with a decision he did not want to make.

Simon Russell Beale had originally been scheduled to play King Herod when I booked my ticket, but the casting changed and Richard Armitage took over the role. Even though he appeared only briefly, he completely changed the atmosphere of the theatre with his comic performance. It was great fun watching an actor usually known for serious roles suddenly break into swift little steps.

Some musicals have a character who appears for only a few minutes but leaves a lasting impression. King Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar and King George III in Hamilton are good examples. This production also attracted attention by casting Boy George, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Julian Clary, Simon Russell Beale, Richard Armitage, and Layton Williams as Herod during its run. Richard Armitage was a lot of fun, but I was still curious to see how Boy George would have played the role.

When Act II began, I noticed twelve or thirteen plates on the stage, so I had a rough idea of what was coming. Even so, the recreation of Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper received applause from the audience. Looking more closely, I noticed that Mary Magdalene was sitting where John would normally appear in the famous painting. Rather than simply recreating the Bible or the painting, the production offered its own interpretation.

The cast first sat in a straight line facing the audience, recreating the famous composition. But as soon as Jesus said, "Take this bread. This is my body. Drink this wine. This is my blood," the mood changed. Four disciples sitting together at the right end began looking at each other as if whispering, "What does he mean?", "Did he just tell us to eat his body?", and "Why is he saying this?" Instead of feeling like sacred figures from a biblical story, they felt like ordinary people trying to understand something they simply could not make sense of.

In "Gethsemane," Sam Ryder began quietly before suddenly launching into soaring high notes as Jesus questioned why he had to die. His desperate cries and physical struggle became one of the most powerful moments of the performance. What impressed me just as much was how consistent his singing remained throughout the show. Considering that this role is performed eight times a week, it is hard to imagine the level of vocal control and stamina needed to maintain those extreme high notes while repeatedly performing such a physically demanding role.

One of the strongest parts of this production was its use of visual symbolism. When Judas decided to accept the silver, he placed his hand into a box of silver coins, leaving it covered in silver paint. The mark stayed on his hand for the rest of the performance. It was a simple but effective way of showing that the consequences of a choice do not simply disappear.

Another memorable symbol was the red cord. The moment Judas chose betrayal, a red cord connected him to Caiaphas and his followers. Later, the same cord was used to bind Jesus' hands on his way to the Crucifixion. In the end, Judas let go of the cord, only for it to become the instrument of his own death. It was an effective way of linking his choice, regret, and destruction through a single prop.

In the scene where Judas was overwhelmed by guilt and regretted his decision, the strong voice of Caiaphas and the deep bass of Annas gave the number even greater impact. Judas eventually ended his life with the very microphone cable that had symbolically bound him throughout the production.

The staging of the thirty-nine lashes was especially difficult to watch. As the crowd gathered and the whipping began, blood slowly spread across Jesus' body as if his flesh were being torn apart. The lashes continued in a steady rhythm, and after a while I found myself wishing the scene would end. It was painful simply to watch.

When Pilate could not find a clear reason to condemn Jesus, the crowd suddenly erupted with cries of "Crucify Him!" The moment was genuinely unsettling. Some of the people shouting had probably been following Jesus only a short time before. It was a powerful reminder of how easily the emotions of a crowd can outweigh an individual's judgement.

After the thirty-nine lashes, Jesus struggled to stand. Then the cross-shaped platform slowly began to tilt. At first I thought the entire structure was about to rise into the air. Instead, it stopped at about a forty-degree angle, steep enough to look unstable, with Jesus' cross revealed beneath it.

The Crucifixion scene itself was equally powerful. A cross rose from beneath the stage, lifting Jesus high above the audience. His body was covered in blood, and Pilate's hands were stained red as well. It seemed to suggest that no matter how much Pilate tried to avoid responsibility, he could never completely wash the blood from his hands.

I had put off seeing Jesus Christ Superstar for many years simply because it was based on a religious story. After finally seeing it, I came away feeling that it was less a religious drama than a modern rock opera about human choice, responsibility, crowd psychology, and guilt. Watching Jesus portrayed as such a human figure going through the Crucifixion was not easy.

I still felt uneasy after the show.

Jesus: Sam Ryder
Judas Iscariot: Billy Nevers (Alternate)
Mary Magdalene: Desmonda Cathabel
Pontius Pilate: David Thaxton
King Herod: Richard Armitage (performing 13th July – 1st & 8th August)
Caiaphas: Bob Harms
Annas: Matty J
Simon the Zealot: Kyle Richardson (1st cover Simon)
Peter: Phil King