Book: Tim Rice
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber
Director: Laurence Connor
Light travels faster than sound but with this full volume, dazzling, multicoloured festival of the senses, it’s hard to know what hits you first.
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s first staged musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, has now enthralled audiences for over half a century. Originally written to be performed by school children, its success and longevity can surely be attributed to its relentlessly upbeat tunes, great story and of course, the glorious technicolour.
Leeds Grand Theatre, with its own vibrantly coloured interior, is the perfect venue for this show and it was filled to the gods with an enthusiastic audience: whether they were seeing it for the first time – like the children in their colourful and sequined tribute outfits – or the fiftieth, this newly revived production, directed by Laurence Connor, could only delight and enthral.
Christina Bianco, the narrator, has a truly compelling presence and blasts out number after number with a musical versatility that is as electrifying as the psychedelic staging. Sweeping aside to reveal Joseph (Adam Filipe) amongst his many brothers, the stage truly comes to life with engaging and energetic choreography and powerful vocals. The children in the large ensemble are as committed as their adult counterparts and provide this production with multi-generational appeal. The production values are amazing – from the simplicity of the fluttering fabrics to the opulence of the Pharaoh’s palace, there is the most joyous assault on the senses.
The first half throws out a continuous and unwavering wall of sound and it is only when Joseph is banished to Egypt by his jealous brothers and then imprisoned that there is any relief from the high-octane output. Adam Filipe’s Joseph is a triumph as he manages to embody every colourful fibre of the character – from the endearing beloved son to the forlornly abandoned brother, he manages the shifts in fortunes as he sings both the power tunes and the ballads. His rendition of Close Every Door, with the children’s chorus peering sympathetically through the bars of his prison, is a powerful moment.
The second act has the star turn of Joe McElderry’s Pharaoh and his performance is show stopping – wonderfully camp and commanding. This is great showmanship and with staged references to another great King (Elvis), there is more than enough to make even the Hound Dogs – or in this case the Egyptian god Anubis – sing!
Most shows have the big numbers as the pivotal highlights, but in a show of amazingly huge tunes, the brothers’ lament – Those Canaan Days – was a great highpoint. With less than subtle theatrical nods to Les Miserables’ Empty Chairs, Edith Piaf and even Fiddler on the Roof, this brilliantly staged number showcases the talents of Will Haswell as Simeon and his brothers whilst providing a scene of enormous comedy.
Whipped up to a frenzy of joy at the end, as Joseph is returned to the heart of his rueful family, it is impossible not to stand and cheer the star-studded mega-mix finale. There is nothing not to love here.
Runs until 29th March 2025, before continuing on tour
