Those coming to this 53-year-old musical for the first time will be unsurprised to learn that Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s sung-through rock opera started life as a concept album. For watching this latest production of Jesus Christ Superstar is not unlike being at a gig (minus the sticky floors and jostling) which leads to both positive and negative outcomes. 

On the upside, the show is dripping with hot, adrenaline-fuelled energy worthy of any summer festival. Punchy choreography keeps this ensemble busy while the leads clutch microphones rock star-style, rather than wearing the usual headset mics. As crowds gather to hear their Messiah sing, the atmosphere shifts between curiosity, reverence and disparity; the mix of euphoria and damnation echoing centuries of conflicted political rallies ever since.

But all of this comes at a cost, and you need a keen eye, sharp ear and existing knowledge of the last days of Christ to truly follow the narrative. Which, in a multi-faith/secular society is by no means a given. As the Bible’s major players take their turn, it’s clear Jesus, Judas, Mary and Pilate are all cracking vocalists, but our emotional investment is jeopardised by a lack of characterisation. 

The ending, of course, is known to all, and here the production is not for the faint-hearted. Once the crown of thorns is brutally forced into place, Jesus is met with 39 lashes, and while glitter is used as a metaphor for the whip, there’s no mistaking the agony on Ian McIntosh’s face. 

Jesus Christ Superstar tours until Saturday 10 August; reviewed at Edinburgh Playhouse.