Reviewed by Ceri Horner
May 2011
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor DreamCoat is based on the story of Joseph and his coat of many colours from the Bible.
It is difficult to recognise the Met's brave current production as that same bible story due to a vast array of updates to characters, costuming, setting and music.
This production does not just take place in Israel and Egypt but travels the globe to Utah, Las Vegas, Paris and The Caribbean with an eclectic range of music styles including country & western, hip hop, reggae, French cabaret, jazz and more.
And the updates are met with mixed success. Although sometimes highly entertaining, the music, directed by Ben Stefanoff is a little scant in places. The lack of volume and depth in the audio also meant the lovely Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice harmonies which should fill the room, barely pass the first few rows – a shame.
Director Trish Spence has created a simple set which keeps the action moving along nicely and the use of a projector screen and good lighting by Daniel Barber provide plenty of different looks to suit the varied styles of the show.
The cast are good. Ellyanne Bradford as the narrator makes a great story teller and Angus Birdseye sings beautifully and is well cast in the role of Joseph. Greg Hart does a perfect Elvis impersonation as the Pharaoh and Robert Reid as Jacob is solid.
The energetic and talented children’s chorus are an absolute delight and it is rare to see a male chorus in amateur theatre as skilled as Joseph’s eleven brothers who almost steal the show.
The Choreography by Carmel Vistoli is creative and well-polished. Vistoli makes good use of the varied skills of the large cast.
It’s an unusual show and if you like something a bit different and can get past the inconsistency in style, location and characters, this production certainly has plenty to entertain.
