Jesus: the ‘best Lloyd Webber musical’

Jesus Christ Superstar might not be the first musical you think of when you think of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Just possibly it has been eclipsed by some of the others.

But as Ian Mcintosh, who is ourjesusonatourwhichtakesin Crawley,southamptonandeastbourne,says:“it'sashowthathas always been there and it's been there for 50 years. This is the 50th anniversary tour in a way, and personally I think it's their best musical. I think the story is soimportant...animportantstory that needs to be told.

It is not necessarilythereligious aspect but it is the Easter story. It is the story of suffering. It is the story of the Passion. It is aboutthesuffering that we just cannot escape from inlifeandit'sdefinitelyaboutthe sacrifices that we make in life.

“Butwegointoalldifferentaspects as well. The fact is that in life you will meet somebody that will betray you and you will also be the betrayer. And with Mary wehavegotsomeonewhodoesn't knowhowtoloveandithinkeveryone can think of someone like that. It's all those different aspects.”

And they're all delivered in a new version which was reimagined at London’s Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre where it originated, led by director Timothy Sheader and choreographer Drew Mconie.

Partofthereimaginingisthat in this production Ian as Jesus is the lead singer of an indie band: “Judas is part of that band and Mary is part of that band and all thedisciplesarepartofthatband and the way it is is that Jesus has a secret.”

It plays The Hawth, Crawley frommondaytosaturdaymarch 18-23; the Mayflower Theatre, Southampton from March 2530 and Eastbourne’s Congress Theatre from April 15- 20.