We were delighted to welcome audiences back to the Open Air Theatre as we re-opened our theatre with Jesus Christ Superstar: The Concert. With social distancing, seating capacity was reduced to 390 seats (down from 1,256), and regular visitors will have noticed the many changes needed to operate in order to keep everyone safe and to comply with government guidance. We created an information hub to share the work we did and to help audiences prepare for their visit.
This special concert staging of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar, was created by the team behind our Olivier and Evening Standard Award-winning production, which played two sell-out runs here (2016/2017), a season at the Lyric Opera of Chicago (2018), and 60 dates at the Barbican Theatre (2019), before embarking on an ongoing three year North American tour.
With 9 performances a week, the roles of Jesus, Judas and Mary were double-cast, giving audiences the opportunity to see any combination of actors as they alternated performances.
Running time: approximately 90 minutes (no interval)
Guidelines for Parents and Teachers
Guidelines for Parents and Teachers
Jesus Christ Superstar: The Concert
This sung-through musical centres on the final days of the life of Jesus, and runs at approximately 90 minutes without an interval. We therefore consider that this production may be most suitable for ages 10+.
Read reviews
Show all reviewsDaily Telegraph
"Andrew Lloyd Webber's electric rock gig, is a wake-up call for our Covid-cowed capital.
It’s JOYOUSLY UPLIFTING to see London theatre reborn and rocking again. A BEACON OF ARTISTIC HOPE"
WhatsOnStage
"Infinitely more than a concert. It is enormously to the credit of this production that within moments of its beginning you entirely forget the strangeness of the situation and are completely engrossed in the staging.
A TRIUMPH AND A BLESSING"
Broadway World
"This heavenly show perfectly encapsulates the power of theatre: its endurance and determination to return, and the sheer amount of talent from cast, crew, and creatives within it."
The Sunday Times
“Fifty years on from its conception, Superstar continues to cast a spell.
ENERGETIC AND EMOTIONALLY RICH"
The Guardian
"TRIUMPHANT. An evening that revels in the joy of people coming together and the glory of theatrical talent getting back to work"
Daily Mail
"If this is just a concert version, the original must have ripped the veil of Regent’s Park in twain. Your temperature is checked on the way in but, to be fair, it should probably be done again on the way out after this Biblical assault on the senses. PRAISE BE - AND WELCOME BACK, LIVE THEATRE!"
Evening Standard
"CAPTIVATING. It was good to be back in a theatre, to feel the communal thrill of a full-throated, live experience. It felt like blood was flowing back into the capital’s cultural veins."
The Times
“This new, socially distanced normal is going to be just about bearable if other productions reach these heights. THRILLING"
The I
"Theatre is back in our strange new world – and nothing beats the thrill of a shared cultural experience. For a sector that has always marched to the rallying cry of “the show must go on”, this prestige al fresco production is the most glorious statement of intent."
The Chicago Tribune
"This was about a determination to bring back one of London’s most crucial assets, to prove that this could be done safely, to offer succor and balm and leadership. And, indeed, this experience felt far safer than any number of other activities officially sanctioned on either side of the Atlantic — dining indoors, drinking indoors, going to the supermarket, working construction, sitting on a crowded beach. A moment to be cherished."
The Sun
"MIND-BLOWING. This production of Jesus Christ Superstar – the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice masterpiece – is one of the best I’ve ever seen"
Country Life
"Invigorating entertainment, superbly acted and sung. Bullish determination to get the show on the road has paid off."
