The Best £25 theatre ticket in London!
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I’ve always loved being up close to the actors and the action on stage, so when the opportunity came to experience Jesus Christ Superstar from on the stage of the London Palladium itself, it was simply too good to miss.
For a show as visceral, energetic and theatrical as Jesus Christ Superstar, being just metres from the performers promised a completely different perspective. There’s something quite extraordinary about standing on the stage of the London Palladium, knowing how many incredible artists and entertainment legends have stood in exactly the same place before you.
What surprised me most was just how intimate the auditorium feels from the stage. For such a large and iconic theatre, the audience feels remarkably close —with a performer’s-eye view, I could see right across the auditorium and all the way up to the Grand Circle.
I had expected that standing on stage might also mean being somewhat blinded by the stage lighting, but surprisingly that wasn’t the case. Much of the direct spotlighting is tightly focused on the lead performers, with extensive use of backlighting across the production. Ironically, at times it was some of the audience who found themselves caught in the glare — occasionally illuminated more brightly than Sam Ryder himself.
Drew McOnie’s choreography is incredibly energetic and physical, demanding that the performers engage their whole bodies — jumping, twisting, throwing their arms and bodies around the stage. Seen up close, that physicality is heightened enormously. You can feel the energy the company is generating and appreciate just how much commitment goes into creating the excitement and momentum of the production.
It’s a very strong cast, and I’d argue they are even more impressive at close quarters. David Thaxton is magnificent as Pontius Pilate — a commanding actor whose every expression and gesture can be appreciated from just metres away. Tyrone Huntley’s Judas is equally compelling, while Desmonda Cathabel as Mary Magdalene and Sam Ryder as Jesus have a charisma and presence that really benefits from being seen this close.
Being on stage also gives you a completely different relationship with the music. Hearing the band at such close quarters was wonderful: standing just in front of the guitar as those iconic opening notes rang out, or being close enough to really appreciate the percussion, added another dimension to the experience. You don’t just hear the score — you become much more aware of how it is being created around you.
And there is so much happening around you.
At times I found myself spoilt for choice: do I watch the lead performer singing just metres away, the ensemble circling around me, the musicians playing those iconic songs, or the crew quietly preparing for the next scene change?
I’m not sure what it would be like to experience Jesus Christ Superstar this way for the very first time. There is so much to take in that it can become a glorious kind of sensory overload. But having seen the show before, I loved being able to look beyond the central action and notice all the other things happening around it.
That became one of my favourite things about the experience. Standing on stage gives you a rare glimpse of the extraordinary number of people, skills and moving parts required to bring a production of this scale to life.
And then there are the moments that you simply could not experience from anywhere else in the theatre. Watching Sam Ryder quietly make the sign of the cross on his chest, just out of sight of the audience, before stepping into the scene, was one of those moments. It was a small, private glimpse behind the performance — and one that I know I will cherish forever.
From a practical perspective, the Palladium staff were excellent. We were marshalled on and off the stage efficiently, kept informed about everything we needed to know, and there was ample time for bathroom and bar breaks. Despite the unusual standing arrangement, the whole experience felt extremely well organised.
And at just £25 a ticket, the on-stage experience represents outstanding value for such a unique theatrical event.
You may sacrifice the perfect, composed view of the production that you would get from the auditorium, but in return you get something entirely different: extraordinary proximity to the performers, the physical energy of the ensemble, the musicians creating that iconic score around you, glimpses of what happens just out of sight and, perhaps most memorably, the chance to experience a little of what it feels like to stand on the stage of the London Palladium.
For me, that was more than worth the trade-off.