A Therry good show
Local
Rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar hits the stage in Adelaide this month. KATIE SPAIN heads to a rehearsal to see the hardworking cast and crew at work.
I hear the familiar sounds of Jesus Christ Superstar songs before I enter the big yellow warehouse from which they come. There, in the industrial back streets of Beverley, talented performers gather to rehearse for the rock opera made famous by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Tim Rice.
It’s 7.30pm and preparations for Therry Dramatic Society’s next theatre production are in full swing. The cast of 30 rehearses on Mondays, Wednesdays and Sundays.
Today is devoted to choreography and there’s excitement in the air. Choreographer Rebekah Stonelaitken gathers a motley crew of performers and starts working through the moves.
Director Ben Todd is here, so is musical director Matthew Rumley. Jesus Christ is here too, as is Mary Magdalene. Well, kind of.
For the uninitiated, Jesus Christ Superstar takes place during the last seven days in the life of Jesus Christ in Roman occupied Jerusalem and environs.
The rock opera is set against the backdrop of an extraordinary and universally-known series of events, but seen through the eyes of Judas Iscariot.
John Farnham and Kate Ceberano played lead roles in the musical over the years and drew fans with songs including ‘Everything’s Alright’ and ‘I Don’t Know How To Love Him’.
At just 24, Matthew helps shape one of theatre’s most iconic scores.
“This is my first show as a musical director for Therry, but I’ve played in the band for their shows for a couple of years now,” he says. “In rehearsals, my job is to teach the cast how the music goes…shaping the way the show sounds.” That includes working closely with leads on tone and emotion: “Shaping soundscapes is a thrill.” The production also uses a 10-piece band.
“This show, in particular, is a little bit of a trickier one, because it’s so iconic and everyone knows it. Everyone’s familiarity has given them an idea of what it should sound like,” Matthew says. “We’re trying to find a balance that picks the best bits of all the versions we all know and love but is still unique and ours.”
It’s a big challenge and the team is up to it. Therry Dramatic Society was founded in 1943 by Archbishop Matthew Beovich and George Walton, a graduate of Newman College, Melbourne. It was named after an early Irish priest and Therry’s first meeting was in the Diocesan Catholic Education Building (later Fennescey House) on Adelaide’s Wakefield Street, with assistance from Fr Isodore Redden, the administrator of the Cathedral of St Francis Xavier.
From the mid-1980s right up to 2023, the group put on four shows a year: three plays and a musical. Starting in 2024, that shifted to three shows a year – two plays and one musical.
Many a theatre bug has graced the stage and assisted behind the scenes.
For a long time, Therry was known for putting on traditional, reliable productions generally aimed at a more conservative audience. Over the past eight to 10 years, they slowly branched out, gently moving away from the strictly traditional.
For their efforts, they have one of the largest and most loyal subscriber bases in Adelaide’s community theatre scene.
Memories permeate Therry’s rehearsal space. Props (including a flying pig) fill the cavernous space and posters from productions gone by grace the walls.
Volunteers move with determination as they put the finishing touches on costumes and an impressive set, all of which is made here.
Sandy Faithfull is part of the costume team (of two) and leads me up a flight of stairs toward rooms full of costumes. It’s a vintage garb-lover’s heaven. Racks of men’s suits, glorious gowns, shoes, period costumes, and a tower of hats beg to be worn.
“We’ve labelled all the boxes so we know what’s in every one,” Sandy says. “This one’s a big show for us, 30 cast members; 10 principles like King Herod, Jesus, and Caiaphas, but then you’ve got about 20 in the ensemble, and some of them have got two or three parts each.”
Back downstairs, the ensemble is in full flight. It is a sight to behold. I’ve got goosebumps.
Director Ben Todd is thrilled.
“The bar was set high over the last couple of years of productions, he says. “I did feel the weight of expectation on my shoulders from anyone and everyone as soon as the show was announced.”
Ben wants the production to reflect what is happening in the world now while also paying homage to the original production.
“I think we all wish a powerful individual would come down and bang a few wordly heads together to resolve the conflicts that currently plague both the Middle East and Europe as many probably did about the Vietnam War back when the original production was staged,” he says. “Back then that person was Jesus, and so I see those similarities, and that’s why I thought now’s a good time to do the show. We need to put that message out again: there is hope.”
The attitudes, sensibilities and slang that pervade the rock opera’s lyrics, and ironic allusions to modern life will be scattered throughout the depiction of the events of the last week of Jesus’ life.
“This show has always contained many intentional anachronisms and we are maintaining that approach with our interpretation of Jesus Christ Superstar.”
The lead role (Jesus, of course) went to Nicholas Munday. Judas is played by Daniel Hamilton, Mary by Bec Pynor, Pontius Pilate by Jonathan Knoblauch, and King Herod by Toby Strudwicke. The role of Peter went to Liam Phillips, Simon Zealotes to Deon Martino-Williams, Caiaphas to Chris Coulter, and Annas to Parisya Mosel.
An ensemble provides the backup. As songs go, Nicholas is particularly fond of ‘Gethsemane’.
“For someone playing Jesus, I think the ultimate answer has to be ‘Gethsemane’…This is as close to representing ‘sweating blood’ in music as you can possibly get.”
By day, the young star is an environmental lawyer.
“There’s much to be said about having an outlet which is totally removed from what it is you do in the day-to-day life,” he says. “It’s good to have somewhere that I can vent what I’m feeling in a healthy way, and with friends who are happy to make jokes and be a welcome distraction.”
Ensemble member Wendy Peecock also loves being part of the theatre community.
“This is my second show with Therry,” she says as she laces her dancing shoes. “My first was Jersey Boys. If I was 20 or 30 years younger, I would have loved to have played Mary. I’ve got so much admiration for the performers and the challenges of performing jazz ballet.”
Ben smiles. This is one happy director.
“They are the best cast I’ve worked with,” he says. “Not that I’ve told them that yet.”
Jesus Christ Superstar runs from 23 July to 1 August 2026. All performances will be held at The Arts Theatre, 53 Angas Street, Adelaide. Bookings: therry.org.au
NIMBLE FINGERS: Sandy Faithfull sews costumes ahead of opening night.
