Sam Ryder’s TV appearance broke the Palladium website – magic happens when stage and screen collide

If you tried to log into The London Palladium website on Saturday evening to try and bag tickets to Jesus Christ Superstar, chances are that, like me, you were met by a website grinding to a halt.

A quick message from members of the show’s team confirmed it – overwhelming demand following star Sam Ryder’s performance of “Gethsemane” on the BBC’s Big Night of Musicals had led to a surge in ticket buyer interest and it was all a bit too much for the venue system. Thankfully it was back up in no time to sate the needs of viewers-turned-bookers.

Such is the power of a top-notch TV appearance: Ryder’s take on the iconic Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice number likely did in five minutes what months of carefully calibrated marketing campaigns can only dream of. For sure, it’s an all-in approach – if the TV performance doesn’t convince, then it can backfire on a show. But with a voice like Ryder’s – there’s very little to worry about.

The Big Night of Musicals has been an excellent addition to TV schedules since the pandemic, showcasing productions new and old, especially those opening outside the West End, and showing there really is theatre for everyone available out there. Long may that continue.

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It also shows that brilliant relationship between the worlds of stage and screen. We’ve waxed lyrical time and again about how many of the biggest TV and film stars cut their teeth in the world of theatre. I only need to cite Jessie Buckley, Jonathan Bailey, Cynthia Erivo or Hannah Waddingham as examples. Some contributions are more subtle – eagle-eyed fans of the brand new Saturday Night Live UK spotted that playwright James Graham is on board as a show consultant. Only in the cauldron of live entertainment can you find out what material really works.

It’s a surprise, given the BBC are also due to broadcast the Olivier Awards in a primetime 50th anniversary special, that the broadcaster didn’t use this two-week window to commit to more stage celebration, similar to last year’s summer of musicals. Re-runs of theatre-adjacent classics, airings of recorded classics could have created a crescendo ahead of the night of 12 April.

No matter – it will be fascinating to see which venues’ websites come to a halt after Olivier Awards performances on that Sunday night – and from what we’re hearing, there’s a lot of excitement in store.