REVIEW: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Think of five musicals. Now. Go.

I bet one of them was Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. And not just because you’ve read the title of this review. The Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber stage adaptation of the bible story graced us with the absolute banger that is Any Dream Will Do – and the TV series of the same name that searched for a future Joseph.

And it wasn’t just the winner, Lee Mead, who went on to play Fiyero in Wicked and Emmett in Legally Blonde, that made it to the West End. In fact, all but one of the contestants found success in professional theatre (most getting their own chance to perform in Joseph).

Anyway, I digress. I’ve seen Joseph many, many times. It was the first West End show I ever saw (with Mead in the title role), and I’ve seen touring and amateur productions since. It’s one of those ‘safe’ shows – you know what you’re going to get, and despite it being cheesier than a four cheese pizza it’ll leave you feeling just as satisfied. That being said, each version tends to add its own little creative twists that make it different from performances past.

I wouldn’t normally comment on the overture of a musical, but this extensive preview of the songs we all know and love was performed so well that I had to check the musicians were actually in the pit and it wasn’t a backing track. It also got us all off to a good start as the entire audience began filling in the instrumental gaps with lines such as ‘I close my eyes… aaaahhhhhh’, and ‘close eeeevery door toooooo meeee’. It was going to be a good night.

After being graced by the beautiful voice of the Narrator (Alexandra Doar) in the Prologue, we met our Ugg-boot-wearing Joseph (Jaymi Hensley). I always feel it’s a dangerous move to market the leading actors by their previous successes – unless it’s panto. Hensley had been promoted as ‘Union J’s Jaymi Hensley’. I didn’t know either – they were on X Factor. It almost places the doubt of ‘but they’re just a singer’ in your head. And that truly is dangerous, because Hensley’s performance was so much more than that. He was a believable and versatile Joseph that didn’t mimic his predecessors, such as Jason Donovan and Donny Osmond. His vocal range was extremely impressive and he controlled every note – but I’d personally have preferred less of a ‘pop’ vocal, and to have reined the riffs in a little.

I’ve got to say, the brothers were absolutely brilliant. They had ample opportunities to showcase their individual talents through a collection of challenging dance routines, as well as slick comic timing from all eleven of them. One (Paul Brangan), who usually plays Reuben, exercised his role as Understudy Jacob/Potiphar by standing in for Henry Metcalfe; and Asher (Andrew Geater) went into Act Two donning a teddy boy wig as the Elvis-inspired Pharaoh. Geater in particular impressed with his flawless vocals, with Song of the King easily one of the best performances of the night. Of course, plaudits must also go to the brilliant children’s choir that make Joseph what it is.

Die-hard fans of the musical will appreciate the slight tweaks to the songs Those Canaan Days (which finds itself a little more serious than previous productions – and those harmonies, my God); the new(ish) addition of Pharaoh’s King of My Heart (which will be new to you if you haven’t seen the show since the 2007 revival); and the funked-up Go, Go, Go, Joseph, which offers riffs galore.

Look out for mischievous sheep, multiple impressive coats, and the chance to get up and dance. Just, whatever you do, don’t miss it.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is on at the Grand Opera House York until Saturday 5^th October with performance times including 2.30pm and 7.30pm. Click here for more information and to buy tickets.