Let’s see. Boy meets boy. They disagree. Boy meets girl, becomes popular and gets hung on a cross of wood until dead. Happens all the time.
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Jesus Christ Superstar, currently showing at the Capitol theatre, is not a new musical. It’s not a new story. We all know the songs because some of our favourite rock gods have sung them. So why go to this production being staged by the Tamworth Musical Society?
I have watched a lot of theatre in Tamworth since moving here in 2001 and if this isn’t the best show I’ve seen, then I can only think of one or two others that are it’s equal. None were better.
It is so innovative. So many clever moments have been woven into its scenes by director Ben Mettam.
In some shows, you can’t see where the director has been and in others, they’ve been places they shouldn’t but this just has spots where you really admire the visual crafting.
I won’t spoil it for you but Mettam hasn’t just breathed life into the material, he’s fashioned a new, almost post modern feel to it, from the stunning opening sequence, right through to the absolutely stylish use of new technology which plucks the strings of familiarity of today’s audiences.
Some of his touch is subtle but it still creates the wow factor that tantalises.
Sam Langston has shaped a superb group of musicians into a whole that is even greater than the parts and the orchestra produced the highest quality I have heard in a TMS show.
The singing, right across the cast, not just the leads, is superb. In that respect, only Les Miserable from ten years ago can match it the breadth of quality, cast wide. Richard Frazer, even raises like Qatermass from the orchestra pit, in a couple of dramatic solos, but if you are shocked by him being let off the leash, you are soon paying attention only to his lovely, precision guitar solos.
Anika Chillingworth delivers again with killer choreography and well disciplined dancers. From the opening scene, the movement on stage is visually stunning.
One moment everyone is moving as one and the next there is wonderfully co-ordinated chaos, where each move is deliberate and everywhere and anywhere you look, there is compelling action, which is in reality, dance.
Pixie Jenkins as Herod and Joe Tandy as Pilot, were so strong in smaller roles.
For Tandy, who usually a powerful presence in straight drama, this was an excellent outing. He sang well and really established the angst of a decision he didn’t want to make.
Pixie was cheeky, sang like a pro and Mettam has even worked a clever tease into Herod’s song.
The three leads were unbelievably good.
Josh Hatton and Chris Langston you come to expect it of after years of high quality work and boy did they deliver, with career best performances in portraying a complex relationship between Jesus and Judas.
Langston’s monster voice swallowed the big rock numbers and drove them out at an audience lapping at every note as it roared past them.
He has always had a great set of pipes but here he has to portray a character sinking under the weight of a great internal conflict and he nails it.
Hatton, a new look Jesus, has some really hard songs to sing: songs which suddenly explode into a vocal range no human being should have to explore.
He did it with ease and at the same time had the task of developing the image of a very complex man, with diverse relationships, part revolutionary, part lover. He brings every bit of both his talent and experience to a role which he makes so authentic.
Kat Nolan as Mary, broke my heart with that stunning voice. No one has worked harder to get there and it’s hard to understand why it has taken so long but she has arrived.
Her version of “I Don’t Know How To Love Him” got hoots and hollers and sustained applause, mostly from those in tears. It was just simple, clear notes sung crisply but creating such love and confusion that we were all suddenly so sorry for her. After all, we knew how it ends!
This run will fix her firmly as one of the most likely female leads for future shows.
It’s just not possible we could have such high quality performers in our town but TMS has proved again we do.
For those who might call foul, might say that old nepotimistic fool is blinded by blood lines, be my guest, go and see it and prove me wrong. Dare ya!
Jesus Christ Superstar runs until 10th November at the Capitol Theatre.