Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre re-opens with concert staging of Jesus Christ Superstar this summer

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre has announced it will be staging a concert production of Jesus Christ Superstar from Friday 14 August for a six week run.

The outdoor venue will operate at a reduced capacity to allow for a socially distanced audience. Cast members onstage will also be following government guidance regarding spacing.

Executive director William Village said: "Following the government's announcement last week that outdoor theatres may re-open, we have been working around the clock to find a way to open in August and September this year. With social distancing, seating capacity has been dramatically reduced to 390 seats (down from 1,256).

"This makes producing any large-scale show economically extremely challenging, particularly as we are an unfunded organisation. Nevertheless, both for us as a venue, and the industry as a whole, we believe it is incumbent upon us to do everything possible to re-open this year, and we're delighted to announce this special concert staging of our award-winning production of Jesus Christ Superstar.”

Timothy Sheader will direct the production with choreography by Drew McOnie, design by Tom Scutt, lighting by Lee Curran and sound by Nick Lidster.

Declan Bennet and Pepe Nufrio will share the title role, with Anoushka Lucas and Maimuna Memon as Mary Magdalene, Tyrone Huntley and Ricardo Alfonso as Judas, David Thaxton at Pilate, Shaq Taylor as King Herod, Ivan de Freitas as Caiaphas, Nathan Amzi as Annas, Phil King as Peter, Cedric Neal as Simon, with Genesis Lynea, Rosa O'Reilly and Elliotte Williams D'Nure as the Soul Sisters.

The cast will also feature Daniel James Bailey, Dale Evans, Rosie Fletcher, Joshua Zac Hawkins, Stevie Hutchinson, Billy Luke Nevers, Charlotte Riby, Tino Sibanda, Baranby Thompson and Tara Young.

Tickets go on sale on 21 July and can be purchased here.