Students act out the crucifiction scene at the Town Hall in Kalimpong. Picture by Avijit Sarkar

Kalimpong, Sept. 30: A packed hall watches mesmerised as Judas gives away Jesus to the priests who are hunting for him. Tim Rice’s lyrics float in, set to tune by Andrew Lloyd Webber. A banner outside reads Jesus Christ Superstar.

Only Satyam Lama is Judas instead of the legendary Murray Head and Vicky Rai is Jesus instead of Angillian in the controversial Broadway rock play. The cast comprises students from Himali Boarding School (HBS), Kurseong, but the act is as compelling as it was in 1971.

The play, originally directed by Webber with lyrics by Rice, was put into action by HBS director Robindra Kumar Subba with a cast of 109 school students at the Town Hall.

“The play is challenging and demands a lot. It is not enough for an artist to be able to act alone, he or she must sing well too, apart from the fact that one has to suit the character one portrays,” said Subba.

“Since we have a choir from Class IV to XII, we could get the right mix by putting in some extra effort,” he added.

The play chronicles the last seven days in the life of Jesus as seen through the eyes of his disciple, Judas Iscariot. For Judas, Jesus is like any other man — one who possesses inconsistencies, as evident from his relationship with Mary. The rift between the two grows with time. As Judas watches Jesus lose control at the temple, shouting angrily at the money-lenders and merchants and begging the crippled men, who ask him for the healing touch to leave him alone, he is more convinced that the man from Nazareth is just a human being. He betrays Jesus and gives him away to the priests who take him prisoner. However, as the events unfold he realises that he was tricked by God into being the instrument of Jesus’ martyrdom. Furious, he hangs himself.

Subba goes a little beyond Webber and adds a touch of his own — includes a resurrection scene. “Considerable emphasis has been laid on costumes, which may not be artistically authentic but builds up the atmosphere and setting which is important in depicting the theme and time of the play,” Subba said.

“Though the divinity and dignity of Jesus remains unscathed, he is portrayed more as humane while Judas is more the tragic hero,” he added.

It was a sterling performance by the crew that gave the play its punch. Satyam Lama may not be Head but has put into the role of Judas a magic of his own, making a powerful impact on the audience.

The performance of Vicky Rai as Jesus and Pema Chuki Yolmo as Mary had a touch of brilliance, almost rubbing away the fine line between real life and drama. Says Lakshmi Pradhan, a spectator: “The coordination was perfect. To act and dance while singing to the music produced by a live band, is not a child’s play, yet these school children put up such a remarkable performance. It was impossible to spot an error in their acting.”

The group has performed eight times in Kurseong and twice in Darjeeling. Sunday’s performance pulls up the count to a perfect ten.