Review: Jesus Christ Superstar, UK Tour, at the Palace Theatre, Manchester

One of the most acclaimed productions of the past few years or so, has to be the Regents Park production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Since it opened, it came back to not just Regents Park in a concert production during the pandemic, but also a run at the Barbican, and a tour across the US. 

Now for those, like me, who didn't get to see the London run, it has just started a UK tour. 

And first stop: Manchester's Palace Theatre. 

I went along to the very first night of the tour so bear that mind if they tweak anything down the line. I don't think it would be much though knowing how much of a well-oiled machine this show is. Or how good it is. 

More than any other JCS I've seen, this really puts the music at the centre. I forget sometimes just how different it is to any other Andrew Lloyd Webber show; compare this to Phantom of the Opera, or Sunset Boulevard for example. It truly feels like something from the 70s, with the rock, soul and funk influences. The magnificent overture booms out over the whole theatre, epic but also rather eery. And then it truly kicks off when this magnificent cast start singing. 

I wonder, if the producers saw Ian McIntosh in We Will Rock You and said to themselves "Yep, he'll do", because he is perfectly cast as Jesus, souring and screaming (in the case of Gethsemane) this score as easily as breathing. 

Alongside him, Shem Omari Jones (Dreamgirls) played a Judas who you could tell from the beginning was barely holding it together; and Hannah Richardson had a perfectly suited voice for Mary. It had a lot of Christine McVie in there. 

Now, depending on which venue you see the tour at, you MAY get to see Julian Clary as King Herod. As fans of the show, Herod is basically a camp, glorified cameo. And this is where it getting interest. Of course Clary camped it up, that's his nature. There was a panto quality to it that did work, but being honest, he did Rex Harrison the song a bit. I think it personally may have worked better to have Clary if the production was filmed for a TV special (like NBC did) rather than a full tour - the part is simply too short. 

But, in a slightly bigger part, and utterly captivating, and this may surprise you: Ryan O'Donnell (The Book Thief) as Pilate. I've always found Pilate in JCS so interesting; O'Donnell's confliction was clear. The sense of him being damned if he did and damned if he didn't. I could not turn my eyes off him and his leather jacket in his scenes. 

I don't want to give too much away on the surprises, foreshadowing and such, more for those who (like me), have (had) not a chance to see this production. 

But the final thing I HAVE to say is that it is one thing to catch Drew McOnie's choreography through a screen from West End Live or the Oliviers, and another to see it live. It truly is so detailed, and utterly electrifying! 

Whether you have or haven't seen Jesus Christ Superstar before, I would definitely recommend you give this production a chance. It's a true magnificent spectacle. And I totally get the hype behind the production. Tickets and locations can found here: Jesus Christ Superstar • UK Tour Dates & Tickets