Strange incidents, such as the staff he carries as Moses mysteriously bursting into flames, have left Luke Brady wondering if there are higher forces at work behind the scenes (or perhaps above them) on new biblical musical The Prince Of Egypt, which has just opened at London’s Dominion Theatre.
The RADA-trained actor, appearing in his first West End leading role, has almost tumbled off a chariot once already, and one of the dancers dislocated a shoulder during the previews.
But that’s showbiz, as they say. The show must go on.
‘It feels like lots of mystical things have been happening,’ says Luke when we meet backstage.
RADA-trained actor Luke Brady (pictured), is the star of new biblical musical The Prince Of Egypt, which opened at London’s Dominion Theatre last week
‘You can’t help thinking maybe some higher power is trying to tell us… well, I don’t know what.
‘The staff burning was pretty shocking. It’s a special staff that lights up but it snapped during rehearsals, exposing the wires. It was glued back together, but then it set itself alight.
‘Thankfully I wasn’t holding it. And then I nearly fell off my chariot.
‘It feels like I’m only a hair’s breadth away from falling or getting something wrong. But this is an epic story and we’ve got to meet the demand of what those themes are.’
The show won high praise when it opened last week.
‘Bursting with glitzy razzamatazz,’ wrote Patrick Marmion in his four-star review in the Mail. ‘I was pinned to my seat.’
It brings to the stage one of the oldest stories ever told, from the Book of Exodus.
Chris Fisher who co-ordinated the illusions, said every single department was involved in bringing the miracles to life. Pictured: The burning bush speaks to Moses
Moses, discovered in a wicker basket by the Egyptian queen after her husband had ordered the murder of all babies born to their Hebrew slaves, is taken in and grows up as the beloved younger brother of the heir, Ramses.
But one day he discovers his true parentage and his eyes are opened to the terrible treatment meted out to his people.
He runs away and marries the liberated Tzipporah, before God speaks to him via the burning bush and demands that Moses lead the Hebrews to freedom.
Moses asks his brother Ramses, now the Pharaoh, to let his people go, but Ramses refuses and ever more frightening plagues and chaos ensue in a grand battle of wills.
The story has been re-created on film several times, perhaps most successfully in Dreamworks’ animated 1998 version of the same name, which won an Oscar for the song When You Believe.
The idea for this production came after Dreamworks executives learned that schools and am-dram societies were putting on musical versions of the film, so they decided to create their own.
They brought in top theatre director Scott Schwartz, who had already turned the film The Hunchback Of Notre Dame into a popular musical, to oversee the production.
Fortuitously, the writer of the animated film’s original score, Stephen Schwartz, is his father. ‘It’s been a wonderful journey,’ says Scott, of the five-year project.
‘And it’s great that I’ve had a chance to work with my father.
‘At work I speak to him as the composer and he works with me as the director. We try to keep it away from the dinner table.
‘What I love about this story is that it remains contemporary. Yes, it’s set in Egypt in 1,500BC, but it’s about people dealing with events that are larger than them.
‘The question is, “What impact can we make on the world as individuals when there is so much that is out of control?” There’s also the question of faith.
‘It looks at what we believe, how we search for guidance. I hope that will appeal to people both with and without faith. It raises big philosophical questions.’
The stage production saw more than 50 people work to create 380 costumes. Pictured: Christine Allado as Tzipporah
For Luke, the story is also about brotherhood and freedom, and it seems particularly apt at a time when we’ve seen another royal son choosing his own path.
‘I can’t imagine what it must be like being Prince Harry, but Moses is trying to find his place in the world,’ says Luke.
‘He’s going against his brother and his actions are causing hurt. There’s a line in the show that says, “For the good of all, sacrifices have to be made”.
There are mystical things going on behind the scenes
‘It makes you think about the challenge of choosing allegiance to your family versus trusting yourself.’
More than 50 people have created 380 costumes for the show, along with jewellery, shoes and 145 different hairpieces.
Underneath each wig is a special cap with a microphone and tracker, which enables the sound desk to locate exactly where each actor is on stage and adjust their microphone accordingly.
The cast – which also includes Gary Wilmot as Tzipporah’s father Jethro and Alexia Khadime as Moses’ sister Miriam – have had to perfect magic tricks as part of the spectacle too.
Moses levitates, a rod turns into a snake, and at one point the dancers appear to fly.
Top theatre director Scott Schwartz, was approached for the new production by Dreamworks executives. Pictured: Christine Allado, Luke Brady, Liam Tamne and Tanisha Spring bow at the curtain call during the gala night performance
Magic Circle member Chris Fisher, who created the illusions for Harry Potter And The Cursed Child, worked closely with them to ensure the sleight of hand isn’t noticed by the audience.
‘The cast are actors and dancers, so teaching them magic is something we just had to go over and over again,’ says Chris.
‘We were constantly working on it so that it all became second nature. I was there looking at the performance from every angle in the theatre to make sure everyone will see the effect, but no one will see how it’s done.’
While the show is based on the film, the plan was always to make it something special in its own right.
‘There are lots of stage shows based on films that don’t veer too far away from them, but for me the point of making this was to create an enormous amount of wonder and spectacle,’ says Scott.
‘We wanted to go deep into the characters too and make them feel like real people.’
While there’s plenty to marvel at, the heart of the show remains the humans who have to endure so much, and it’s that personal touch that tugs at the heartstrings.
‘In many ways these people are just like Luke and me,’ says Christine Allado, who plays Moses’ wife Tzipporah and whose stunning soprano is one of the show’s highlights.
‘We’ve all encountered times when things seem out of control, when there are obstacles, and that’s why it’s a story that still resonates today.’
The Prince Of Egypt is now on at the Dominion Theatre in London, theprinceofegyptmusical.com.