London's Jesus Christ Superstar Concert Expands Socially Distanced Audience With Large-Screen Relay on Lawn

After reducing capacity by nearly 70 percent, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre has found a way to bring its production of Jesus Christ Superstar: The Concert to more theatregoers while maintaining social distance protocols. The show will now be relayed to a giant screen on the venue’s lawn for the August 19–30 performances (the concert is currently scheduled to run August 14–September 27).

The lawn will be divided into individual areas for each ticket holder, ensuring social distancing. The relay will be filmed using five HD cameras, broadcast to an LED screen.

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“The live relay will help us attempt to make this revival economically viable, but innovative add-ons such as these are not a panacea for the industry,” said the venue's Executive Director William Village.

As previously announced, the roles of Jesus, Judas, and Mary will be double-cast, with all of the main performers having ties to various U.K. productions of the Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice musical. Declan Bennett and Pepe Nufrio will share the role of Jesus, with Tyrone Huntley and Ricardo Afonso alternating as Judas, and Anoushka Lucas and Maimuna Memon both playing Mary.

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Timothy Sheader directs with co-direction by Denzel Westley-Sanderson. Casting is by Will Burton and David Grindrod, with lighting design by Lee Curran, musical supervision by Tom Deering, associate direction (voice and text) by Barbara Houseman, choreography by Drew McOnie, sound design by Nick Lidster for Autograph, set design by Tom Scutt after the set design for Evita by Soutra Gilmour, costume design by Tom Scutt, and fight direction by Kate Waters.

Following two sell-out runs at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in 2016 and 2017, the Olivier– and Evening Standard Award–winning production of Jesus Christ Superstar played a season at the Lyric Opera of Chicago (2018), a run at the Barbican Theatre (2019), and a three-year North American tour.

Jesus Christ Superstar: The Concert is produced by William Village and Timothy Sheader for Regent's Park Theatre Ltd by special arrangement with The Really Useful Group Limited.

First Look at Jesus Christ Superstar at London’s Open Air Theatre in Regent’s Park

Jesus_Christ_Superstar_Regent's_Park_Open_Air_Theatre_London_Production_Photos_2017_Tyrone_Huntley_cast_HR — First Look at Jesus Christ Superstar at London’s Open Air Theatre in Regent’s Park

The Olivier-winning production returned August 11 for an extended run through September 23.
16 PHOTOS

Jesus_Christ_Superstar_Regent's_Park_Open_Air_Theatre_London_Production_Photos_2017_Charlotte_Riby_Cleve_September_Dale_White_HR — Charlotte Riby, Cleve September, and Dale White

Jesus_Christ_Superstar_Regent's_Park_Open_Air_Theatre_London_Production_Photos_2017_David_Thaxton_Declan_Bennett_HR — David Thaxton and Declan Bennett

Jesus_Christ_Superstar_Regent's_Park_Open_Air_Theatre_London_Production_Photos_2017_Declan_Bennett_Maimuna_Memon_cast_HR — Declan Bennett, Maimuna Memon, and cast

Johan Persson

Jesus_Christ_Superstar_Regent's_Park_Open_Air_Theatre_London_Production_Photos_2017_David_Thaxton_HR — David Thaxton

Jesus_Christ_Superstar_Regent's_Park_Open_Air_Theatre_London_Production_Photos_2017_Declan_Bennett_Cast_HR — Declan Bennett and cast

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First Look at Jesus Christ Superstar at London’s Open Air Theatre in Regent’s Park

First Look at Jesus Christ Superstar at London’s Open Air Theatre in Regent’s Park

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