University of Northampton students help bring Jesus Christ Superstar to life at Royal & Derngate

Bringing rock opera to life, a team of University of Northampton students wowed audiences with their imaginative makeup and design work for Jesus Christ Superstar, the latest hit from Northampton Musical Theatre Company.

Students of Hair, Makeup and Prosthetics for Stage and Screen, Sadie Jefferson and Liam Gambrell secured the roles of Show Supervisor and Show Designer for Northampton Musical Theatre Company’s latest, leading a team of 12 fellow students to deliver the on-stage looks for some of the show’s leading characters, including Judas Iscariot, Mary Magdalene and Jesus.

Northampton Musical Theatre Company (NMTC) enlisted the support of the students for yet another of their shows to deliver the iconic 1970s rock opera, which tells the story of Jesus in the final days leading up to his crucifixion.

Show Designer, Liam Gambrell said: “This was my first time leading or having any role other than Make-Up Artist, which has been so much fun to experience.

“To come up with the character look, I watched many different versions of the show online to see what other renditions of makeup had been delivered. My main inspiration was the live recording of the 2012 tour at the O2 with Tim Minchin as Judas and Mel C as Mary, which has an overall grungier aesthetic which lends itself well to creative interpretation.

“The experience was made by the incredible team I have around me. Sadie has been a brilliant supervisor to have by my side, helping to make sure that my vision came to life for the show. I have been a fan of Jesus Christ Superstar for a while, and have enjoyed working on it so much. This company always make us feel welcome and the actors are brilliant to work with.”

“The creative process was led by Liam with me helping him narrow down options to really develop the ideas – which was a lovely way to find even more about the show over all” adds Show Supervisor, Sadie Jefferson.

“My overall experience has been incredible assisting to lead a team of 12 Make-Up Artists. Having the role as a supervisor was great as I got to experience both delivering the makeup looks, as well as helping to design and lead.”

UON student and Show Supervisor, Sadie Jefferson, applies make-up to actor.

Course Leader and Senior Lecturer in Hair, Make-up and Prosthetics for Stage and Screen, Laura Cotterill praised the professionalism of the students: “I’m incredibly proud of our students not only for their resilience, flexibility and adaptability while delivering professional work for Jesus Christ Superstar, but also their skill in balancing this as an external commitment to full time studies.

“Here at the University of Northampton, we pride ourselves on providing our students with invaluable industry experience, as well as opportunities to build their creative portfolios and boost their future employability.

“It is easy to learn on paper about what the creative industry is like, but it isn’t until our students face workplace challenges where they need to think practically on their feet that these lessons are truly embraced – and we are incredibly grateful to Royal & Derngate and Northampton Musical Theatre Company for supporting us and our students year after year.”

Deputy Head of the School of Culture and the Creative Industries, Dr Anthony Stepniak adds: “This collaboration with NMTC is a staple of the host of industry engagement opportunities we strive to provide for our students here at the University of Northampton’s School of Culture and the Creative Industries.”

This production is the latest in a long line of stage shows for which the University’s students have delivered faultless looks, following in the footsteps of Royal and Derngate’s production of Kinky Boots, a later production of Footloose also at Royal & Derngate, as well as Rutland Musical Theatre’s on-stage adaptation of The Addams Family.

Find out more about studying Hair, Makeup and Prosthetics for Stage and Screen at the University of Northampton.

Photos copyright of Northampton Music Theatre Company.