A PERFORMING arts school has been granted special rights to perform a hit West End musical in Durham Cathedral this spring.

It will be only the second time Jesus Christ Superstar has been staged in a cathedral and Enter CIC are planning an unforgettable performance to mark the milestone.

More than 150 members of the youth theatre, based in Ferryhill, County Durham, will perform in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical and audiences can expect a high energy production, featuring an emotive storyline, live rock music and dramatic dance routines.

Enter CIC directors had to seek permission from the licensing agency and Durham Cathedral to put on the performance and the coup is all the greater as the West End production will also be touring the country this year.

Co-founder Andrea Flynn said: “Normally when the professional production goes on tour they retract the rights so it is a great privilege for us to have been given the go ahead.

“I like to think it is a testament to the high regard of which our young people are held and our reputation for staging high quality productions.

“Often, when people hear the words youth theatre they dismiss it as being amateur but these young people are extremely talented and committed.”

Enter CIC is a not-for-profit organisation that uses creative and performing arts to help young people realise their aspirations and reach their potential.

Last year, the group performed its hit mining musical The Wind Road Boys to sell out crowds at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Similarly, its production of Home Fires, an original musical to commemorate the centenary of the First World War, captivated audiences at Auckland Castle in Bishop Auckland and on Palace Green in Durham City.

Mrs Flynn is confident Jesus Christ Superstar, which tells the story of the last three days of Jesus’ life through the eyes of Judas Iscariot, will be equally well received.

“To perform at a World Heritage Site is a rare privilege and we are absolutely thrilled to have been given this opportunity,” she said.

“You could not ask for a more fitting setting for Jesus Christ Superstar.”

The production takes place on Thursday, April 9, and Friday, April 10, at 7.30pm. Tickets, priced at £15, are available online at entercic.org or by calling 01740-655437.