Led by Ian McIntosh as Jesus, his effortless vocals and powerful upper register were nothing short of outstanding. Not once did he falter during what is an intensely demanding role- both physically and vocally. Hannah Richardson’s Mary was subtle but strong and she delivered some of Lloyd-Webber’s classics perfectly. Her rich, velvety tones made stark contrast with McIntosh’s epic rock vocals, but this just made it all the more electric. 

Shem Omari James’ Judas was high-powered and convincing. Though his diction wasn’t always the clearest, the passion was dialed up to 100 and it didn’t detract from the overall performance. Our three leads were supported by one of the most impressive ensembles that I’ve ever seen. Barely off the stage, they were the power source of the entire production; tirelessly pounding out Drew McOnie’s dynamic, narrative-driven choreography. 

Just when you think you might be bordering on overload, in comes Julian Clary. His trademark schtick and flamboyant demeanor cut through the high intensity piece at just the right time to provide a moment’s light relief. He may only be on stage for a few minutes, but you can’t deny his star-turn is worthy of the top-billing he has received- the audience was in the palm of his hand as the ever camp King Herod. Add on top of this the camp-factor of the priests and, if you squinted, you could well have been at the Eurovision Song Contest.