I’ve seen the film 30 plus times and many different stage productions and worked on costume twice in the touring JCS shows. Can you tell I’m a fan?! I guess I can easily criticise what I feel doesn’t work and I will. The market scene was my first disappointment as a lack of market scene props or ladies of the night gyrating as they display their wares to work in with the lyrics were replaced with what seemed like a crowd of protesters waving around lit up crosses and didn’t work at all for me. And worse still the same group without any form of full stop, next sentence.. seems to transition straight into the next scene of the maimed and beggars. That was a huge disappointment. In all previous renditions I’ve seen a superfast change of costume into rags and bandages, to great effect I have to say. This didn’t cut it and screamed to me of cost cutting somewhere. (Less dressers in the wings). Herod I’m afraid didn’t reach my dizzying expectations either I’m sorry to say. He was just not ‘funny’ and this is the only serious ‘light’ scene in the show. It seemed to me he was trying to live up to Sam Smith in Unholy and he didn’t even touch the sides.
The crucifixion, a massive let down. Where was the atmospheric hammering of metal and nails in the lead up to lifting the large heavy wooden cross? The build up throughout the show was set to incredible levels, the outcome was weakly portrayed in comparison. The lighting as someone else suggested didn’t work. I was sat absolute centre stage 10 rows back, great seats yet I saw the huge white spot clearly on the floor backlighting the cross. Terrible lighting here and bad staging. I just didn’t get the scene, there was nothing to look at and I found myself, eyes straying around the stage which was not what should have happened.
So what did I like? Absolutely everything else! The vocal ranges were stratospheric! Jesus, Judas, Pilate, Ciaphas, all terrific. The sound was loud and the sound effects were right there like a punch in the heart, just how I love them! The build up.. like a fast chase, pacey and held you in the grip of suspense. Gethsemane, strange with a guitar and I thought it would be a distraction but it worked brilliantly as he built up to its peak. Hairs up on the back of my neck was testament to the effect of the high notes.
The dancers were like the arteries of a pulsing heart, constant and gyrating frenetically. One girl’s piece in particular was choreographed genius, when Judas was building up to the hanging she feverishly pulsed and gyrated in the dark alone as if she was his very conscience in a fierce battle of will. Spectacular!
A def hit for me and I’d go back again tomorrow! Great job!
After seeing the previous production at the Playhouse, I was excited to see this one. It was way too young and hip for my liking. The staging was poor, as was the lighting, it was way too dark. As for the crucifixion, the white light totally wiped out the demise of Jesus. This may be due to where it was sitting but I'll never know. In the plus side, the music and c singing were, mostly, great
I’ve seen the film 30 plus times and many different stage productions and worked on costume twice in the touring JCS shows. Can you tell I’m a fan?! I guess I can easily criticise what I feel doesn’t work and I will. The market scene was my first disappointment as a lack of market scene props or ladies of the night gyrating as they display their wares to work in with the lyrics were replaced with what seemed like a crowd of protesters waving around lit up crosses and didn’t work at all for me. And worse still the same group without any form of full stop, next sentence.. seems to transition straight into the next scene of the maimed and beggars. That was a huge disappointment. In all previous renditions I’ve seen a superfast change of costume into rags and bandages, to great effect I have to say. This didn’t cut it and screamed to me of cost cutting somewhere. (Less dressers in the wings). Herod I’m afraid didn’t reach my dizzying expectations either I’m sorry to say. He was just not ‘funny’ and this is the only serious ‘light’ scene in the show. It seemed to me he was trying to live up to Sam Smith in Unholy and he didn’t even touch the sides.
The crucifixion, a massive let down. Where was the atmospheric hammering of metal and nails in the lead up to lifting the large heavy wooden cross? The build up throughout the show was set to incredible levels, the outcome was weakly portrayed in comparison. The lighting as someone else suggested didn’t work. I was sat absolute centre stage 10 rows back, great seats yet I saw the huge white spot clearly on the floor backlighting the cross. Terrible lighting here and bad staging. I just didn’t get the scene, there was nothing to look at and I found myself, eyes straying around the stage which was not what should have happened.
So what did I like? Absolutely everything else! The vocal ranges were stratospheric! Jesus, Judas, Pilate, Ciaphas, all terrific. The sound was loud and the sound effects were right there like a punch in the heart, just how I love them! The build up.. like a fast chase, pacey and held you in the grip of suspense. Gethsemane, strange with a guitar and I thought it would be a distraction but it worked brilliantly as he built up to its peak. Hairs up on the back of my neck was testament to the effect of the high notes.
The dancers were like the arteries of a pulsing heart, constant and gyrating frenetically. One girl’s piece in particular was choreographed genius, when Judas was building up to the hanging she feverishly pulsed and gyrated in the dark alone as if she was his very conscience in a fierce battle of will. Spectacular!
A def hit for me and I’d go back again tomorrow! Great job!
After seeing the previous production at the Playhouse, I was excited to see this one. It was way too young and hip for my liking. The staging was poor, as was the lighting, it was way too dark. As for the crucifixion, the white light totally wiped out the demise of Jesus. This may be due to where it was sitting but I'll never know. In the plus side, the music and c singing were, mostly, great
Thanks, Lesley. Yes, was disappointing. So much promise and potential just not fully realised.