Presented by: Pulteney Grammar School
Reviewed: 25 May, 2023
From the moment the expansive lighting rig at the Futures Church illuminated the stage with a single student wielding his electric guitar, bending and sliding through Andrew Llyod Webber’s best work, I knew Pulteney’s production of Jesus Christ Superstar was going to be different from your average school musical. The investment this school has put into the performing arts is evident in every aspect, from set design, direction (in stagecraft, musically, and choreographically), the band, and of course the students themselves. There were multiple times I felt myself judging this performance as though what I was seeing was a professional work, only to have to remind myself that I was watching students, and for that I commend everyone involved.
This cast of almost a hundred students is a tight, well verse ensemble who push the boundaries of what you thought possible with that many on stage, never feeling crowded but still crowding Jesus with all the effectiveness that this kind of mass ensemble allows. The issue with such a major cast is I can’t call out everyone on their outstanding work, so take all my praise as praise for everyone!
That being said, I do need to discuss the work of the featured cast – APATA 2023 Student of the Year Oscar Bridges is as good as that award would make you think – vocally brilliant, falsetto soaring throughout the show. Ella Wood’s Mary Magdalene draws you into her performance with one of the more understated roles in the show. Liam Goodes and Abbey Wilkinson are suitably maniacal as Caiaphas and Annas – the perfect amount of villainous ham. Patrick Longden rocks hard as Simon Zeolotes, and you really feel the pain of the denial with Sophie Fonovic’s Peter. Special mention for the ‘Leaders’ Hamish Wilkinson as King Herod is dressed to impress and the song does too; Isabella Haarsma is as distraught by Pilates actions as we are, and you feel it come across in her performance. Finally, it’s strange that a show named Jesus Christ Superstar would have a star other than Jesus, but Taylor Schwartz Judas Iscariot is at 110% throughout this production – not only vocally carrying one of theatre’s most demanding sings (other than Jesus himself) but one of its hardest acting performances. All three leads should be proud of themselves, they’ve got long careers ahead if they choose to take it up.
Technically, the show is unlike any school production I’ve ever seen. I’ve commented on the expansive lighting design and operation, the work of Ethan Hurn, beauty in its size and complexity, my only point is that often personal moments were lit with a similar wash to more expansive numbers, maybe a more focused state would have provided a greater sense of isolation. Costuming by Anna Williamson is purposefully anachronistic and it works to take the audience out of guessing the when and the why that often comes with productions with ancient stories set in modern times – allowing the performances to shine as that’s our focus. Set design is industrial and bare, but utilities the levels that the Futures stage space allows, a testament to Chris Hill’s design work.
Finally, Jo Casson, Jonathan Rice, and Rosanna Dobré as the creative team have created something special here. What they’ve achieved with this group of students is fairly magical, they should be proud, as should the students themselves and the school as a whole.
Reviewed by Daniel Barnett
Photo credit: Stagelit Studios
Venue: Futures Church, Paradise
Season: Saturday 27 May at 7.00pm
Duration: 2.5 hours (including intermission)
Tickets: From $25.00
Bookings: https://events.humanitix.com/jesus-christ-superstar
