Sam Ryder to make West End debut in 'Jesus Christ Superstar'

Jesus Christ Superstar follows the events of the last days of the life of Jesus Christ, as seen through the eyes of Judas. The score includes "I Don’t Know How to Love Him", "Gethsemane" and the title number "Superstar".

Summary

• Sam Ryder rose to fame on talent competition Eurovision
• He will make his West End debut in Andrew Lloyd Webber's hit musical Jesus Christ Superstar
• Performances begin at the London Palladium next June

Eurovision star Sam Ryder will make his West End debut in a limited run of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar at the London Palladium next summer. Performances will begin on 20 June, running through to 5 September 2026.

The production will reunite creatives from the show's 2016 run at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, including director Tim Sheader, designer Tom Scutt, and choreographer Drew McOnie, who is now artistic director at the outdoor venue.

Jesus Christ Superstar follows the events of the last days of the life of Jesus Christ, as seen through the eyes of Judas. The score includes "I Don’t Know How to Love Him", "Gethsemane" and the title number "Superstar".

BRIT and Emmy-nominated Ryder, who rose to success with his hit single "Space Man", said: “I’m so excited to be part of one of the biggest institutions in musical theatre the world’s ever known, at The London Palladium in the West End! I'm honoured to take on this responsibility as I follow in the footsteps of rock vocal titans like Ian Gillan and John Farnham. I can't wait to immerse myself in the word of Jesus Christ Superstar in 2026.”

Producer Michael Harrison said: “It is thrilling to be bringing this astounding creative team from the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre production back together, and I am excited to see them create Jesus Christ Superstar specially for The London Palladium. In Sam we have a true superstar to play the iconic title role, and I look forward to sharing further announcements about the production in the coming months.”

Jesus Christ Superstar opened on Broadway in 1971, where it was nominated for five Tony Awards including Best Original Score. The original London production ran for over eight years, making it the longest-running musical in West End history at that time.

The creative team also includes musical supervisor Tom Deering, lighting designer Lee Curran, sound designer Adam Fisher, and fight director Kate Waters.

Check back for Jesus Christ Superstar tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

Photo credit: Sam Ryder. (Photo by Jack Robinson)