Jesus Christ Superstar London Tickets

Jesus Christ Superstar London tickets

Regents Park Open Air Theatre, a delightful venue surrounded by parkland inside Central London's Regent's Park, is the new home of Andrew Lloyd Webber's popular musical Jesus Christ Superstar. The famous rock opera -- which first started on Broadway decades ago -- brings to the stage a version of Jesus' final days in Jerusalem loosely based on the Gospels. It's a story of loyalty versus betrayal, faith versus doubt and the self-proclaimed son of God's ultimate, tragic destiny. Jesus, Judas, Mary Magdalene, Pontius Pilate and other key figures from the Bible are brought to life on the London stage, each communicating their disparate beliefs and emotions with the audience via rousing song.

Jesus Christ Superstar London's history

Before it was adapted as a musical, Jesus Christ Superstar was released in 1970 to critical and popular acclaim as a concept album. With music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, Jesus Christ Superstar is part of an impressive catalogue of work that also includes Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Evita. The musical had its Broadway debut in 1971 and its West End premiere at the Palace Theatre in 1972. The first U.K. tour of Jesus Christ Superstar took place in 1998, and was repeated in 2001, 2004, 2008 and 2015, with an arena tour also undertaken from 2012 to 2013. Regent's Park Open Air Theatre first hosted the musical in 2016.

Despite some inevitable controversy over its religious theme, Jesus Christ Superstar proved a great success from its first year and went on to be produced all over the world. The original Broadway production was nominated for five Tony Awards, and Lloyd Webber won the Drama Desk Award for Most Promising Composer. Eight years after Jesus Christ Superstar's London debut, it became the U.K.'s longest-running musical. The 1996 revival at London's Lyceum Theatre was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival.

The U.K. arena tour of Jesus Christ Superstar in 2012 followed the broadcast of the ITV programme Superstar. Produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber, the reality show sought a new actor to play Jesus on the tour, with the British public ultimately voting for Ben Forster. In 2016, Jesus Christ Superstar returned to London, playing at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre and celebrating 45 years since its Broadway debut. This production won the BBC Radio 2 Audience Award for Best Musical at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards. It also won the award for Best Musical Revival at the 2017 Laurence Olivier Awards, with five other nominations.

Similar to Jesus Christ Superstar London

London-based fans of musical theatre who are looking into Jesus Christ Superstar London tickets might also want to catch a performance of Bat Out of Hell London or Annie London.