Joseph and the Amazing
Technicolor Dreamcoat (UK Tour)
New Wimbledon Theatre
Reviewed on Tuesday 29th October
2013
One of Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Tim Rice’s most famous collaborations, Joseph
and the Technicolor Dreamcoat could not be more different from their other
biblical musical. A curious mix of upbeat (albeit random) songs in the style of
a calypso, country and western... and (strangely) Elvis, this is a production
where cultures collide and the past and future meet.
Unusually for a musical, there is no love story, nor in fact is there
really a central female character. Instead the leading lady is the Narrator
(Jennifer Potts), who tells the story and sets the scene. Potts has a beautiful
voice and although there is not much call for acting in this role, she has a
certain amused twinkle in her eye that works well, as the whole production is
quite tongue-in-cheek.
The Joseph Choir is made up of the Babette Langford Young Set and
these children should be commended alone for their ability to sit still for
almost an hour. Yes, a few of them fidget but the youngest among
them looked no more than five years old. Perfectly in tune and in time,
the choir all but stole the show with fairly complex choreography and no
assistance from the adults.
Throughout the performance Henry Metcalfe's choreography
continues to impress, lifting the pace of the show, but not detracting from the
songs or story. In fact, the dances suit the tone of Joseph very well
and the three handmaidens are rarely off stage, giving them plenty of time to
prove their worth - not least their ability to change costumes in seconds!
The brothers too are strong performers, with many of them making their
professional debut in this production, and again it is their dancing that
stands out. In fact there is not really one weak member of the cast, which is quite
unusual but very encouraging.
As for Ian 'H' Watkins, the role of Joseph seems unsuitable at first
as his voice isn't particularly strong and at times his concentration was
evident in his face. However, Close Every Door was quite moving and
although Any Dream Will Do wasn't perfect, he did manage to do it justice
(but he's no Jason Donovan).
The Joseph Megamix at the end is brilliant, as it sets the mood for
the audience's final impression. Like the majority of the show, the mix is
upbeat and fun and is a perfect finale... except that it isn't the end and
there are too many bows and encores - I'm not sure that Joseph really
needs four different dreamcoats, three of which are only seen at the end.
But there's no denying that Joseph is a fun show that leaves
you smiling (not just because of the blow-up sheep) and singing along to the
wonderfully weird lyrics of the irritatingly catchy songs. Go go go Joseph!
Reviewed by Michaela
Clement-Hayes
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat runs at the New Wimbledon Theatre until Saturday 2nd November 2013.
Please click here for further information, tour dates and tickets.
Photo Credit: Sheila Burnett
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