Review Godspell at the Palace Theatre 24th to 29th September

Stephen Gately leads a hit-and-miss production...

When Godspell first opened in 1971, it caused a sensation. Following the pattern of the medieval Mystery plays, Godspell not only retold the Gospell of St Matthew but turned it into an all-singing, all-dancing comic musical starring a Jesus sporting a Superman T-shirt and facepaint, supported by disciples dressed as clowns. Quickfire scenes covered parable after parable in the first act and continued into the second as the Passion of the Christ unfolded around the ensemble cast.

Hippy audiences loved it, partly because of the sparkling score featuring songs like 'Day By Day' and 'Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord' and partly because it made the Bible suddenly seem relevant to them again. It went on to become one of the most popular musicals of all time, especially among American Christian audiences.

However, the production of Godspell currently at the Palace Theatre is a hit-and-miss affair which will no doubt leave Christians and Boyzone fans delighted but could disappoint other theatre-goers.

Stephen Gately is a curious choice for Jesus. He does have a strong voice, as seen throughout his career, but in this production his stage presence was not strong enough to hold its own against the high-voltage energy of the ensemble or the acid sarcasm and magnetism of Ryan Molloy, who appears as both John the Baptist and Judas.

The ensemble cast was composed of highly talented, energetic performers with luscious voices, and the choreography was a pleasure throughout. Unfortunately, some members of the ensemble seemed more concerned with grabbing the lion’s share of attention than with the overall effect. Thus the pace often suffered from extended adlibbing and occasionally the rich harmonies in the score were damaged by actors trying to out-sing each other.

However, despite these flaws the show was still slick and enjoyable, and at times it was very funny too. The contemporary jokes throughout do a good deal to stop it from being embarrassing in its sincerity and the music still shines out from start to finish. If you are a fan of the show already, you will probably enjoy this production of Godspell. But if this is your first time watching it, you may do well to wait for a production with fewer flaws.