Ben Hur Live garners mixed response from critics

|PIC1|The arena spectacle premiered at the 02 arena in London on Thursday to a nearly full house that was impressed enough to clap at the right moments yet never quite impassioned enough to get carried away with the colourful spectacle before their eyes.

For all the sword-fighting gladiators, dirt buggy-driving pirates, and high-speed chariot racing, it has so far failed to win the favour of most critics.

The Guardian said it was an “unstirring event” that “lacked flair”, while the Evening Standard was harsher in its criticism, calling it “massively camp” and “woefully ill-conceived”.

There were certainly disappointing aspects of the production. The music, by Stewart Copeland of The Police, was somewhat repetitive, while many of the scenes lasted much longer than they needed to.

It is also surprising that for all the undoubtedly talented performers to hand, the show’s creators didn’t come up with a more inventive use of the massive floor space offered by the arena.

That said, there were many positives. The children in the audience clearly loved every minute of it, especially the live chariot race and pirates on dirt buggies that seem to have been the chagrin of the critics.

The tension between Judah Ben-Hur and his former friend and Roman, Messala - their rivalry, jealousy, and hatred - was convincingly and passionately portrayed, an impressive feat given that they were acting in an arena and dialoguing entirely in Aramaic and Latin.

What is more, born again Catholic and creator of the show Franz Abraham does not shrink from any of the religious content. Jesus’ gentleness and quiet authority are powerfully contrasted with the mercilessness, barbarity and sexual immorality of the Roman oppressors. Although the actors are clad in almost comically camp golden bikinis and shorts, some Christian viewers may find the pseudo Roman orgy scene too much.

But the scenes in which Jesus appeared were genuinely moving and were greeted at times with the rapturous applause of one segment of the audience that was evidently Christian and pleased to see that Jesus had not been left out.

And although the dialogue could have benefited from a little more depth at times, it was simple enough that even children could understand the core lesson of Lew Wallace’s 1880 bestseller - that Jesus was bringing a new way from the destructive cycle of hatred and revenge, the way of forgiveness, mercy, and reconciliation.

The production ends with Jesus healing Ben Hur’s mother and sister of their leprosy and Ben Hur giving his heart to Christ. As Jesus hangs poignantly on the cross, real white doves are released into the arena – the final crowd pleaser of the night.

As the 02 emptied on opening night, there was a tangible buzz in the air so Ben Hur Live, for all its faults, obviously struck a chord. It may not be the perfect production, but it is fun, kids will love it, and most importantly, it shines a beautiful light on Jesus like no other stage production of its size around today.