Stewart Copeland of Police fame has put together an Arabian influenced soundtrack and also narrates the production, spoken entirely in Latin and Aramaic.
Creator Franz Abraham is a born-again Catholic who says he wants to use a production of “seemingly megolomanian size” to bring Lew’s tale of forgiveness to a new audience.
“Ben Hur is anti-Monte Cristo and anti-George W Bush,” says the quirky German.
“Monte Cristo takes revenge for everything bad that happens to him. Judah Ben-Hur at a certain moment discovers that there is a different way of reconciliation or at least of not taking any more revenge.
“I want to communicate this fantastic content to a larger, wider audience that would normally never go to a piece about spiritual things and religion.”
He stresses that while it has not been his intention to make the show too churchy, Christians who come to see it “will not be disappointed”.“They must kiss my feet that I bring Jesus on stage and don’t throw it out and didn’t follow the advisers who said not to do it in Aramaic and Latin, and that I didn’t follow the advisers who said I cannot promote Jesus and that I should take out the tale of the Christ because it’s offending people who don’t believe in it,” he said.
“If to announce Jesus in the sub-lines is the reason that it goes bankrupt then it must go bankrupt.
“I cannot lie, not to the story that has been written nor to myself, just to make more money.”
Sixteen years in the making and on the eve of a 17-city tour, Abraham knows it’s a risky venture – he’s invested 1.5 million euros of his own money – but he has no regrets.
“Even if I end in a half catastrophe I would say it was worthwhile because it was worth presenting this to people but I am convinced every week progressing more and more that there is no chance for a fail financially … I will only know next year how it will turn out to be.”
Ben Hur Live is at the 02 until Sunday. Tickets are on sale priced £35 to £115.
