EXPERIENCED director Duncan Lewis is staging Jesus Christ Superstar as a rock opera at the YMCA Theatre, St Thomas Street, Scarborough, from tomorrow until April 16.

"Our production follows on from the national arena tour of the same version, and we believe our show will be its first staging in Scarborough - and it might not be what people expect," he says.

"This all local, amateur production will use the traditional Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber score but shun the usual backdrop of Ancient Rome and centre instead around the music industry with Jesus as a rock star fast gaining icon status. "

Duncan, who has directed professionally all over the country, wants to give Jesus Christ Superstar a more contemporary feel, making it as welcoming as possible to the young people associated with the YMCA.

“People will recognise the same characters and storyline, but we've chosen to give the show a contemporary look and feel that I hope the audience will relate to,” he says. "There's a part of today’s music industry that seems to produce artists who reach celebrity status overnight. Coupled with their respective entourage and followers, these are very contemporary trends that many young people can recognise today and these tie in well with the telling of Jesus’s story."

After open auditions were held in January, Duncan picked a cast of 22, led by Damon Hotchin, from the Stephen Joseph Theatre Outreach adult acting group, in the demanding role of Jesus. Other cast members have been drawn from Scarborough schools, Scarborough Sixth Form College and York College, and the set and costume designers work part time at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough.

The show's seven-strong band and four backing singers are drawn from music students and staff fromScarborough’s Yorkshire Coast College Westwood Campus, complemented by choreography by the YMCA-based Rowlies Dance Academy.

"I'm keen that this should be a real community production; meeting the aims of the YMCA in providing opportunities for people from across the Borough of Scarborough. Existing YMCA volunteers are also involved in costume, technical and front-of-house roles," says Duncan.

"As far as we're aware, this is the first time Jesus Christ Superstar has been performed on a theatre stage in Scarborough. It's a challenging and hugely ambitious production, both from a musical and performance point of view and technically it's one of the biggest shows the YMCA has ever staged.”

Duncan hopes his production will make people think."I haven’t set out to tell the story from any particular angle, but wanted to simply portray what happens to Jesus in the last seven days of his life from a very human perspective,” he says.

"The way we're handling it might not be what some people expect, but I firmly believe that theatre has a responsibility to make people think and question the themes and issues raised.”

Performances start at 7.30pm, tomorrow until April 16, except Sunday, when there will be a 2pm matinee instead, followed by a question-and-answer session with director and cast. Tickets cost £10, concessions £8.50, family ticket for two adults and two children, on 01723 506750.