Jesus Christ Superstar - U.K. Tour

I saw this last night in the hell hole of the Cliffs Theatre in Southend

The narrow stage in Southend is very wide and thin (like a letter box) not a traditional pros arch. It’s very ugly and flat to look at.

The cliffs is also not a proper theatre but almost a conference centre with wooden floors and no rake in the auditorium until the very back of the stalls. (Expensive seats too!)

The show? I’ve seen JCS many times over the past 3 decades. The choreography in this productions is amateur and just plain weird, I hated the hoody type costumes, the sound was low, lacking power (and mostly bad). I missed 70 per cent of the lyrics, the acting was very insular with mostly dead pan faces - but what SENSATIONAL voices!

Also in 2024 I wonder if this show would gain the same social support? You basically see a man tortured to death and whipped with glitter and everyone claps with thunderous applause. Plus the casting of so many shows today preach that they needs to be authentic - while in JCS we all accept that white and African heritage and mixed race performers play these roles clearly historically set in the Middle East supposedly 2000 year ago. Plus don’t get me started on stunt casting Julian Clary as Herod.

Still with all the issues, hatred for the Cliffs Theatre and problems the voices were stunning.

The ol' Cliffs is definitely a victim of the 1960's

Many shows find themselves absolutely struggling to fit inside the space, because as said previously there is NO backstage to speak of. You have the wings, and that is it. It needs help desperately but unfortunately its one of those theatres limping along to get by.

I'm surprised not many touring shows go for the Palace Theatre in Southend instead, a traditional proscenium arch stage. It is smaller, though.

That aside, the sound at the Cliffs does utterly SUCK. Shame you couldn't hear much.

Julian Clary was, quite simply, awful.  Despise the stunt casting (malapropism?) for this - I also despise the fact that despite working their backsides off all night, the rest of the cast seemingly have to turn and applaud Clary at the curtain call whilst remaining static for everybody else.  They don't love him THAT much, surely...  I loved seeing Matt Bateman (Annas) get a loud cheer at the bows.  I love his particularly obsessive psychotic Annas who becomes more obsessed and unhinged as the show goes on, right down to the way he smashes his mic stand down on the metal cruficifix.  I also love his bit with the cymbals: "Judas thank you for the victim, stay a while and you'll see him bleed."  He has made the most of the part and like Luke Street is an actor I'll be keeping an eye out for in future.  As for Hannah Richardson (Mary), my request would be to please get on and record/release a solo album!

Saw Julian Clary for the first time in Southend (had Timo the previous 2 times I went) and I wish I hadn't. I've never seen the song performed so underwhelmingly with such little energy. He didn't sing a single word and his 'adlibs' were just not funny?

Local businesses were warned about a far-right protest reportedly planned in Cheltenham tonight - I imagine that was behind the cancellation.