The Watermill Theatre has announced the full cast and creative team for its exhilarating summer production of Jesus Christ Superstar, running from Tuesday 24 June to Sunday 21 September 2025.
This bold reimagining of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s legendary rock opera will spill out from the theatre into the surrounding gardens, immersing audiences in the heart of this epic musical.
Michael Kholwadia will take on the role of ‘Jesus’, with Max Alexander-Taylor as ‘Judas’ and Parisa Shahmir as ‘Mary’. The production promises a powerful and intimate retelling of the final days of Jesus, seen through the eyes of Judas Iscariot.
Joining the principal cast are Michali Dantes as ‘Simon’, Seb Harwood as ‘Peter’, Christian Edwards as ‘Pilate’, Samuel Morgan-Grahame as ‘Herod’, Olugbenga Adelekan as ‘Caiaphas’, and Alexander Zane as ‘Annas’.
The ensemble includes Jordan Eskeisa, Maisie Mandley, Hazel Monaghan, Tasha Chu (Dance Captain), Lily Françoise, Trisha Kumar, Alex Anthony Fevrier, Sebastian Hugo, and Finan McKinney, who also covers the role of ‘Jesus’.
Thanks to support from Greenham Trust, six ensemble members are recent musical theatre graduates gaining valuable experience on this large-scale regional production. The Watermill will also host free workshops, tickets, and Q&As for local young people.
Joint CEOs Artistic Director Paul Hart and Executive Director Claire Murray said, “We’re absolutely thrilled to announce full casting for our epic new production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Following on from The Lord of the Rings and Barnum, taking over our stunning grounds in recent years, this is going to be another massive summer at the Watermill.”
Hart added, “Following an extensive search of some of the UK’s most talented performers we’re so thrilled to have found Michael, Max, and Parisa who will bring a thrilling new perspective to these iconic parts, alongside a wonderful cast of multi-skilled performers. We can’t wait to bring this epic new production to life which retells the most famous story ever told.
Audiences can expect this to be a production like no other, as we blast the ceiling off the theatre and spill out into our very own Garden of Gethsemane. I have always admired this bold and brilliant retelling by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, and the chance to explore the intimacy of the piece in this setting as well as the rockstar heights of it feels particularly exciting. This story continues to reverberate through the ages.”
The production is directed by Paul Hart, with choreography by Anjali Mehra and lighting design by Rory Beaton. Set and costume design is by David Woodhead, with musical supervision by Stuart Morley, sound design by Tom Marshall, and video design by D.T. Denton.
Listings and ticket information can be found here
