He’s happy to admit that it’s a generous perspective, and one not bound to orthodox theology. Instead, it humanises Judas, presenting him in a way that avoids simplistic hero or villain labels.
Javon King in Jesus Christ Superstar. Photo / Jeff Busby
King brings this idiosyncratic view to his portrayal of Judas in the rock ’n’ roll spectacular Jesus Christ Superstar, which begins its seven-week tour of Aotearoa in October. This thrillingly high-octane interpretation of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s prog-rock-inspired musical won the 2017 Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival and features iconic musical tunes like the yearning I Don’t Know How to Love Him, the anguished Gethsemane, and, of course, the bombastic accusation of Superstar.
The show, which has been rocking audiences since the early 70s, completely flips the script on the Bible’s version of Jesus’ final days, presenting events from Judas’ perspective. King was besotted with the character ever since he first saw the musical.
“I love playing characters that are controversial and complicated. I love getting into the nitty-gritty of someone like that,” he says. “The whole thing with Judas is that there’s a 90% chance that people coming into the theatre have a preconceived notion of who they think this person was. I try to change their minds. I get a thrill every single night being able to change people’s perception.”
Then, he grins and says: “For me, it’s always been Judas.”
Before Luke Street slipped into Jesus’ famous sandals, it was also Judas. He joined the production as the Judas understudy for a year. When offered the lead role for the international tour, it wasn’t an instant yes.
Luke Street performing the role of Jesus Christ. Photo / Supplied
“It was a weird one, because I was not expecting to be Jesus. My wife and I had our second baby due, so when I got that call, we started laughing because we couldn’t believe it,” he says. “I didn’t want to miss the birth, but we knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play such an iconic role and do it full time. We had to make that decision.”
He stayed for the birth, and then four days later flew to the Philippines to join the production.
“My wife is a trooper,” he acknowledges. “And it all worked out. We couldn’t turn it down.”
Jesus Christ Superstar holds a special place in Street’s heart. He’s been a fan ever since he was a kid. His musical-loving mum would crank it at every opportunity, especially on road trips.
“I loved it,” he smiles. “It was different to any other musicals she played. It was just a different sound. I loved rock music; I was listening to Iron Maiden and Guns N’ Roses, so having that rock sound in a musical setting was like, ‘Whoa! This is cool’.”
Like King, Street also wanted to focus on Jesus’ humanity rather than an iconic, divine being.
“Everyone knows Jesus and has their own picture of him in their head,” he says. “My version of Jesus, which this production leads to, is that he’s just a human being, but also a celebrity of his time.”
Jesus Christ Superstar is currently on an international tour. Photo / Vitt Salvador
In that light, the show can be seen as a commentary on our celebrity culture, where people are idolised before being torn apart.
“We see that a lot in the UK. Amy Winehouse is an example that springs to mind,” he sighs. “I think that’s why the show’s so relevant today and doesn’t ever feel outdated.”
While the show offers a theatrical version of Jesus Christ’s life, it’s less a religious retelling and more an exploration of the human condition; how we look up to certain people, how we treat each other, and how we treat ourselves. It’s about human connections and a painfully human relationship.
No spoilers for a story that’s 2000 years old, but things do get quite gnarly towards the end.
“Judas and Jesus are such a duo. They’re best friends, and you see them go through it,” he says of the show’s characters. Through song, dance and staging, we watch Judas experience the all-too-universal emotions of jealousy and grief as Jesus ascends in popularity, becoming almost unrecognisable. In the show, he sees the real danger of this, not just to his best friend, but also to himself and the ever-growing number of followers.
King was very aware of Judas’ predicament and strove to strike a delicate balance in his portrayal.
“When playing Judas, it’s a fine line of being assertive and getting his point across, but not being aggressive,” he says. “I didn’t want him to come across as a person just angry at his friend.”
This was especially important to ensure audiences truly felt the overwhelming loss and grief behind Judas’ actions in the show’s powerful final moments.
“At the end, it’s just pin-drop silence,” Street says, “It’s my favourite bit of the whole show. You have goosebumps.”
Jesus Christ Superstar is currently on an international tour. Photo / Vitt Salvador
King and Street say taking an audience on this journey is physically and mentally demanding. The performance is high energy, high impact and highly choreographed, with both characters living through shatteringly emotional events.
“It’s constantly flowing, and it’s non-stop,” King says. “It’s like a rock concert. At the end of the show we’re sweating buckets. And what happens to Jesus is tough. I really have to leave it on stage. I’m getting brutally beaten up and then getting crucified … It’s a lot.”
He pauses for a second, and then says: “I really have to detach from what’s happening, otherwise it could really put me in a negative state.”
King has developed a similar relationship with his character.
“I leave him at work and let him be there and go on about my life,” he says. “That way I can be myself.”
Playing Judas has had a huge impact on the way he lives his life.
“I have a new love and appreciation for life that comes from performing what Judas has to do on stage in front of thousands of people several times a week. It’s emotionally taxing and does mess with your head,” he says. “Yes, I’m an actor, and I understand I’m playing pretend, but those things still sit with you as a human being.”
Playing Judas “unlocked a lot of joy”, King laughs, adding that joy is not a word typically associated with the great betrayer.
“He’s given me a lot of grace and joy in my own personal life,” he says. “I hope that people receive my Judas with love and aren’t stuck to their preconceived notion of who they think Judas was.”
Then he smiles and says, “Because I wouldn’t be as grateful for the little things in life, or as appreciative of the simple things, if it wasn’t for Judas.”
Jesus Christ Superstar comes to The Civic in Auckland as part of its international tour from October 21 to November 15. jcs-nz.gmg-productions.com