Alhambra Theatre, Bradford – until 8 February 2020
Reviewed by Aimee Liddington
5*****
More than 50 years after Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice gave life to it, this biblical story (turned musical comedy) is still one of the most colourful, bright and uplifting productions to grace our country’s stages. The script retells and elaborates on the ‘coat of many colours’ story of Joseph from the Bible’s Book of Genesis and the Bible never looked so good!
You will be blown away by the dazzling array of talent showcased by the cast in this exuberant musical. Alexandra Doar opens the show phenomenally in her professional debut as Narrator. Her voice is flawless and her omnipresence allows the scenes to transition effortlessly. This, coupled with the natural stage presence, embodiment of character and strength of voice of Mark McMullan (who plays Joseph) only begins to describe the level of ability of this group of actors. Last, but certainly not least, the comedic value of ‘the brothers’ will have you in fits of giggles as they interact with each other and each of them seem masters in the trio of skills of acting, singing and dancing.
Intricate stage design, beautiful costumes and perfectly timed lighting effects elevate the production to advanced heights. The audience is transported from Israel to Egypt with pop-up, life-size sheep, recreations of a Sphinx and Egyptian tapestry. The costumes are fabulous, in particular, the transformation of Joseph’s ‘coat of many colours’ from start to finish. The wardrobe team have obviously taken great care in analysing how the coats work on the stage and their use of colour has a huge impact in the final scenes. Similarly, the lighting team have ensured that their lighting changes match seamlessly with the words spoken by the characters. In the song ‘Joseph’s Coat’ the back of the stage changes colour as the colours are listed in the song which has a striking overall effect.
This production will have you singing along almost immediately and will leave you smiling ear to ear. ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ is a timeless classic and this troupe certainly do it justice.