“We should be portraying the characters through our acting, not what’s in our trousers…” – TheQR speaks with headline actor Roza Stevenson and Creative Producer Lew Forman, about their upcoming production of Jesus Christ Superstar.
Jesus Christ, Superstar – we live in an increasingly secular age, so why this show, and why now?
Lew: I avoided the show myself for years for this very reason – it doesn’t sound very modern, does it? Well, that’s the key to the whole thing; it is. It’s a modern retelling, it’s in the present day, and it’s from Judas’s perspective. I don’t want to give much away in case people don’t know the show, but you can very much watch the show and come away thinking that the Jesus you saw on stage was, in fact, not the messiah.
Equally, you may come away thinking that Jesus is the messiah, and the ambiguity is what makes it so good, in my opinion. At its core, it’s a political piece about any public figure, not just Jesus; and how it might go wrong. We live in an age of influencers, celebrities and politicians being more well known than ever before, but with that fame comes vulnerability and the potential for disaster.
Has the casting been gender-blind or gender-conscious? What opportunities does this present to you as cast/producers?
Lew: It’s been gender-blind. We called back a mix of male, female and non-binary actors for the vast majority of roles, and where we didn’t, there was no reason other than being a good match. It’s opened up so many opportunities for us that we wouldn’t otherwise have had, not to mention the potential for female and non-binary actors, who are so often pushed to the side in musicals from before the 2010s, and even now, still are.
Roza: As a (newly out) non binary actor I feel my range is a bit broader and I could theoretically play a myriad of roles, but the theatre industry (and the rest of the world) are very stuck on this binary, one man; one woman thing. Casting shows gender-blind breaks down at least a little bit of this barrier, opening up the opportunity to not only just non-binary actors, but everyone. Back in Shakespearean times, it was common for a man to play a woman. We should be portraying the characters through our acting, not what’s in our trousers.
EUSOG has given myself and others this opportunity and I think when you see the show you’ll see that the on talent alone, everyone in the cast proves that gender doesn’t have to have anything to do with casting.
What have your own journeys been into the performing arts?
Lew: I started musical theatre classes when I was 6 years old. By the time I was 15, I realised that whilst I love theatre, I love being in charge even more, which led me to producing. I produced my first show when I was 16, and now, aged 22, have produced more than 50 shows in various capacities, and work full time on the producing team at the National Theatre.
Roza: I have been involved in theatre since I was 4 years old going to my local drama classes. I then started doing shows with my local theatre company who would put on a show every year at the Church Hill Theatre (the very same one as we will be performing in this week!) I have very fond memories of all my early shows and it spurred me through to keep auditioning and performing in shows throughout my life till I ended up in college for acting. Outwith studies I have my own theatre company, Happy Sad Productions, which I started with my best friend, Amber. Over the years we have put on “Twisted”, “Charlie Brown” and most recently “Spelling Bee” at the Edinburgh Fringe. We are currently working on our next production which will be ‘Into the Woods’ and I am very excited to be directing this one! Theatre, performing and music are all very instrumental in my life and has been a huge part in shaping who I am today.
Student theatre/performing arts, what is it good for?
Lew: I think first and foremost, fun. Additionally, it’s a really good springboard or training ground for those wanting to succeed in the industry. I wouldn’t be where I am now without it – it’s such good experience, which is why I’m still doing it despite graduating!
Roza: In my opinion, amateur theatre in any form is good on many levels. It helps young kids (like me when I was younger) come out of their shell, gain confidence and make friends. It is great for the community, community halls get used for rehearsals or fundraisers, people pitch together to help make a show happen and you can even have a lovely evening out at the end of it.
It is also a great stepping stone for anyone who wants to make it professionally in the arts, from hands on experience in set building or choreographing to more admin or producer type roles, there are so many skills you can learn in theatre.
Are you religious, or perhaps spiritual yourself, or perhaps anti-theist, and has this affected your performance at all would you say?
Lew: I was raised Jewish, and I still am Jewish – it’s not something you can give up, it’s an ethnoreligion. With that said, I’m certainly an agnostic Jew – I don’t think I have enough evidence to decide whether there’s a God or not. It seems like a big decision; I’m not that clever. Whilst I’m not on the stage and didn’t direct the show, I was very keen to keep things ambiguous and neutral, as intended. So, no. It hasn’t changed my vision of the show, rather reaffirmed my belief in what the show itself tries to do.
Roza: I grew up in the church and as I got older realised it was not a right fit for me; being queer, and all. So taking on the role of Jesus was a weird headspace to get into. I have lots of knowledge of the bible and Christianity from my upbringing so I felt like it was easy to understand where Jesus is coming from during the show. I also think my upbringing helped me form the character of Jesus as I always saw him as a pawn in ‘God’s plan’. Izzy (the director) and I have really tried to tap into this when forming my version of Jesus, he is a little hesitant, feeling betrayed and hurt by the people he is supposed to trust.
How would you sum up the spirit of your rendition of Superstar? What is it you want to leave the audience with?
Lew: I want the audience to leave feeling like they’ve just seen a really emotional play, but also that they’ve been to a rock concert. The tone of the music often doesn’t match the tone of the story, and that’s intentional. It’s all about subversion, how there’s no black and white, challenging the way you think you feel about certain themes, and seeing things from a new perspective.
Roza: I just really want our audiences to leave having enjoyed a great piece of theatre and some pretty cool music! This is a passion project for all of us involved and we have put a lot of work in, we want people to enjoy it!
Jesus Christ Superstar will play the Church Hill Theatre, Edinburgh between the 24th and 28th January 2023. It is an Edinburgh University Savoy Opera Group production
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