Eurovision champion Sam Ryder takes on the role of Jesus Christ Superstar | stage

Singer-songwriter Sam Ryder, best known for his 2022 Eurovision hit Space Man, will play the lead role in Jesus Christ Superstar at the London Palladium.

Ryder, who turned around the UK’s Eurovision fortunes when he came second in the competition, will make his theatrical debut in the rock opera. It is a repackaged version of director Timothy Scheider’s production that was originally created in 2016 for Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, where it had two additional runs; It was transferred to the Barbican, as well as touring the UK and US.

Producer Michael Harrison said it was “exciting” to be creating a remake specifically for the Palladium, adding: “In Sam we have a real star to play the iconic title role.” Describing Jesus Christ Superstar as “one of the biggest institutions in musical theater the world has ever known”, Ryder said he was honored to follow in the footsteps of “rock giants like Ian Gillan and John Farnham”.

Palladium is owned by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber who created Jesus Christ Superstar with lyricist Tim Rice as a 1970 concept album featuring Gillan as Christ in his final days. It triumphed on Broadway the following year and opened in London in 1972, with Paul Nicholas in the role of Jesus. When it closed in 1980 it became the longest-running West End musical at the time. The title role has since been played by Ted Neely (in the 1973 film version), Farnham (in a 1992 Australian production) and Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach in the 2002 US revival.

The Palladium version was once again conceived by Tom Scutt and choreographed by Drew McOnie, who took over from Sheader at the Open Air Theater as it mounts a new version of Lloyd Webber’s Cats next summer. Jesus Christ Superstar will run from June 20 to September 5 at the Palladium, which has recently enjoyed such success with the Evita version that has also started life at Regent’s Park. Director Jamie Lloyd’s hit show made headlines for the scene that found its star, Rachel Ziegler, performing “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina” from the theater balcony to crowds in the street below.

A new staging of Jesus Christ Superstar directed by Paul Hart at the Watermill Theater in Newbury has won Best Musical Production at the 2025 British Theater Awards. This version made adventurous use of the theatre’s grounds, as its garden was located in Gethsemane.