Sheffield youth theatre Splinters celebrate 30 years with Jesus Christ Superstar

Splinters, which welcomes performers aged 14 to 30, has invited back members from years gone by.

The cast and crew include some ex-members that helped set up the society in the late 1980s.

Featuring such famous songs as Gethsemane, I Don’t Know How To Love Him, and Superstar, this gritty retelling of the last seven days of Jesus’s life is reimagined in the present day.

“For our 30th anniversary production, we wanted something different, something that would challenge us all, something that had not been seen in Sheffield for a while,” said director Ian Walker.

 “We want to give the show that ‘arena feel’. There’ll be very little set but we’re using live filming and projection, to give it a totally different feel.

“That has given us some challenges but the team and I have embraced them.”

Loosely based on the gospels, Jesus Christ Superstar presents, entirely through song, the personal conflicts between Jesus, his disciples, and the leadership of Rome in the days leading up to his crucifixion. 

The show most recently drew public attention in 2012 when an arena tour starred comedian Tim Minchin and radio presenter Chris Moyles.

Splinters Chairman Mark Holmes wants the society’s production of the show in Sheffield to be a scaled-down version of that.

“With a 40-strong cast filling the purpose-made stage being complimented by a face-melting six-piece rock band and additional choir, we can't wait to bring this production to life”, he said.

“Bringing together past and present members, this will be a special show that we have no doubt will go down as one of the most memorable in Splinters' history.”

Jesus Christ Superstar runs at The Octagon, Sheffield from April 3-6. Tickets are on sale online at www.gigantic.com/jesus-christ-superstar-tickets or call 0114 265 8688.