“Godspell” by West Bridgford Operatic Society
West Bridgford Baptist Church, Nottingham.

This immensely successful rock opera needs little introduction, but when it was first produced on Broadway in 1971 it broke new ground in its stage treatment of the historical Jesus Christ. Based on the Gospel according to St Matthew it deals with the last days of Jesus, and includes dramatized versions of several well-known parables.

And yet it is something more - a religious experience, a demonstration of joy, and a celebration of the family of man. The cast use many well-known theatrical devices, pantomime vaudeville and varied musical styles leading up to the Last Supper and Crucifixtion

This musical has always been a lesser performed piece of theatre as it lives in the shadow of “Jesus Christ Superstar”, so I, for one, is very pleased to see this being performed in Nottinghamshire. It seems that I’m not the only one either as Friday was sold out.

I loved the way that the story is told in an almost "rehearsal-mode" way with Jesus as the Director of the piece. He throws in seemingly ad libbed sections and arranges the followers and places them on stage. It comes across as a rehearsal but, please do not take this as a negative as I'm not sure if it is supposed to be like that, but if it is, it worked really well for me.It looked like a really relaxed and natural get together.

Having never seen this play performed before, this is all new, so I have nothing to compare this performance to, but what an introduction to a wonderful theatre experience, and that I can thank Director Meng Khaw for, who was also Musical Director for this musical. Also loved the modern touches injected into the play. See if you can spot them as they enhanced the natural comedy of thye script.

Performing this piece in West Bridgford Baptist Church, gave the play a special feel as you felt you were seeing Jesus' home inside God's home. Very atmospheric.

John Gill plays Jesus, and a completely different Jesus in a rock opera than I had seen before. Excitable like a puppy with a new toy in the first Act, but in the second Act, we saw the more mature side of the man as he learns of his betrayal, and while the Crucifixion isn't the big feature as per "Jesus Christ Superstar" it is a very poignant moment. J.J.'s version of "Beautiful City" was stripped back so you could hear the beautiful lyrics to the song and so you could understand the meaning of the song. Uncluttered by lush arrangements, the simplicity and J.J.'s voice was a spine tingler.

This production boasts quite a big cast, 32 in fact, spanning quite an age range, and I love it when a musical can encompass all ages, as well as varied vocal styles and ranges as well. And when all of these styles and ranges come together, as they did in the second act, the sound was heavenly, making the venue seem even more appropriate.

I'm not going to single anyone out because everyone gets featured,and there are some lovely solo, duets and featured pieces which really elevate this musical throughout.

It's always difficult with local theatre productions in performance spaces like this to get the clarity and projection, which is why several of the principals passed around radio mics, which meant we could hear clearly the main characters but some of the lesser characters were sometimes lost. Nothing can be done about this and I know that if the funding had been there, all would have had the kind of stage mic that J.J. had.

That said, I thought the sound for J.J.'s mic was not balanced right and possibly needed a bit more treble as it sounded a little muggy compared with the hand held mics.

The soundtrack is so varied, from gospel to pop to rap to vaudevillian. For me there were several highlights. "Prepare Ye" took me to church in an instant. the gorgeous "Day By Day" sung by Sarah Shields blended the gospel with the pop. The fun soft shoe shuffle of "All For The Best" by J.J. and Tom Parry, The beautiful folky duet "By My Side" by Sarah Harley and Lee Horne with a lovely guitar accompaniment from Orla O Reilly. The gorgeous uplifting happy clappy "We Beseech thee" by Alex Grosse and the cast, all made for a very memorable and enjoyable musical experience.

WBOS also put on an interval treat as well with samosas - meaty and veggie - as well as some delicious refreshments, so please take advantage of these as they are a taste bud treat at very reasonable prices.

“Godspell” will be performed at West Bridgford Baptist Church, Nottingham until Saturday 15 June with a matinee.