Jesus Christ Superstar London Palladium Review: Sam Ryder is Heaven-Sent
Published on 8 July 2026
Summary
- Our Jesus Christ Superstar London Palladium review
- Sam Ryder's 'Gethsemane' stops the show for a standing ovation.
- A revival worth worshipping at the altar of musical theatre.
There’s been more than enough Jesus Christ Superstar adaptations to feed the five thousand (nay, millions) since its genesis as a concept album by Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Tim Rice in 1970, but this one performs enough miracles to justify another revival!
This version; based on the original Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre production, has made the pilgrimage over the last decade from the park to the Barbican and out on a critically-acclaimed international tour, with director Tim Sheader and choreographer Drew McOnie at the helm, and incredible design by Tom Scutt with his iconic crucifix-cum-catwalk staging.
But now, we have Sam Ryder added to the mix. Most call it a ‘triple-threat’ but I’m calling it ‘The Holy Three’: the look of a 70s rock legend, the quietly-confident charisma to pull off this complex character, and those sweet, sweet heaven-sent vocals. I mean, wow! What would be the equivalent of pinning your fave rockstar’s poster to your bedroom wall in 30 Anno Domini? Oil on canvas? Maybe a fresco? Either way, Sam Ryder has got the lot!
While set during the final week of Jesus’ life, ALW’s rock opera uses the vintage backdrop of a Roman-occupied Jerusalem but redresses it with 1970s aesthetics. So, Mary Magdalene, played by the brilliant Desmonda Cathabel, floats around with bangles, braids and flowy dresses; giving Earth Mother / Janis Joplin / Stevie Nicks / Flower Child. Ethereal energy with, hands down, the BEST version of ‘I Don’t Know How to Love Him’ I’ve ever seen. Jesus is the slightly bemused hipster; rather than embracing the adoration of his followers, Ryder leans into the overwhelm; slipping to the edge of the stage as the crowd closes in around him, desperate to be healed, touched and saved. It's a reminder that, despite its biblical setting, Jesus Christ Superstar has always been as much about the crushing weight of public adoration as it is about the Passion itself.
Instead of outright villain, Tyrone Huntley’s Judas is far more complex, he both delivers powerhouse vocals while portraying a man torn between loyalty, jealousy and regret, while Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson steals every jaunty-cabaret second of his scene as a deliciously flamboyant King Herod. If Mitchell Pritchett ever secretly dreamed of stealing the spotlight in a West End musical (and let’s face it, he obvs did), this is deffo what it would have looked like. Oh and Pontius Pilate and his Roman cronies arrive looking like a goth boyband, complete with black eyeliner, microphones doubling as sceptres and perfectly synchronised slut drops which was an unexpected highlight.
Tom Scutt's design leans into the show's rock-opera roots with arena lighting, glitter (lots of it), towering scaffolding and audience members standing on stage throughout, making the action feel more like a live concert than a traditional musical. And a moment for the absolutely relentless ensemble, presented as everything from faithful disciples and a hungry, barnacle-like swarm of supplicants to ever-present, celebrity-frenzied fans and a white-robed gospel choir whose costumes, moments later, read more like hospital inmate gowns as they dance at the crucifixion. Well, Christ on a bike, the costume design and mob choreography complement each other perfectly.
The score crackles with blistering electric guitar licks and bluesy riffs, while seeing Ryder pick up an acoustic guitar on stage feels wonderfully full-circle after those lockdown garden-shed performances. And when the brooding 'Gethsemane (I Only Want to Say)' arrives... I mean, that's the moment everyone came for, right?! Ryder's honeyed vocals soar effortlessly through one of musical theatre's most demanding songs and rightly deserved its mid-show standing ovation.
A stadium voice, a legendary score and impeccable staging? This is a revival worth worshipping at the altar of musical theatre. Catch Jesus Christ Superstar (THE show of the summer) at the London Palladium until 5 September 2026. Or at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane between 16 October 2026 and 9 January 2027.
P.S. Trotting over to the Palladium after a quick carafe of pre-theatre red wine and a bread basket feels oddly on theme. Also, I wonder if it will be a Jesus-Sandal Summer now? Won’t lie, I’m keen.
By Hay Brunsdon
I've over 15 years of writing and editorial experience, and starting working in the West End theatre industry in 2012. When not watching or writing about theatre I'm usually swimming, hiking, running, or training for triathlons in the Stroud valleys.