THE last seven days in the life of Jesus Christ are dramatically retold in this fantastic Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical, at Manchester Opera House.
Arvid Larsen superbly takes on the role of Jesus, com-fortably handling the difficult score, as does Mark O'Malley as Judas Iscariot.
Cat Simmons gives a pow-erful performance as Mary Magdalene, most notably as she sings the memorable and moving hits 'I Don't Know How To Love Him' and 'Could We Start Again Please?'.
The costumes are kept simple - that is until Herod takes to the stage with his soul girls. The King appears ben-eath flashing lights complete with clown make-up and his dancing trio are decked out in sparkling, bright pink frocks - a stark contrast to the plain white shirt worn by Jesus.
The scenes involving King Herod's henchmen are suitably frightening, as their bodies seem to float across the stage beneath the long black cloaks and deathly make-up.
The haunting crucifixion scene is extremely realistic as Jesus is flogged and nailed to the cross - images guaranteed to stay with you long after you've left the theatre.
This is a fast-moving production jam-packed full of hits and one which you don't want to miss. Heidi Humphrys
*Until November 17
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