|
|
|
|
|
Comfortable old coat is still dreaming
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton
Certain
shows, it seems, just won't die. Hot on the heels of
Blood Brothers
– another show that won't lie down– The Grand theatre offers the
Biblical crowd pleaser that is Joseph
and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat .
Given the reaction of
the audience on opening night, it's a formula that doesn't need
changing. Producer Bill Kenwright must be rubbing
his hands with glee. This show (along with the aforementioned Blood
Brothers , another one of his ) has been doing the rounds for over
25 years now. Box office bankers like this are a rarity these days
and it is little wonder they still form part of so many theatre's
touring programme. Joseph was first
performed as a 15 minute musical in 1968 – the first collaboration
between Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. It went through a number of
re- incarnations and refinements before opening in its current form on
Broadway in 1982. It made its West End debut in 1991,
starring a certain Jason Donavan and has been gracing the provinces ever
since. The show's popularity received a huge boost following
the BBC series Any Dream Will Do which propelled the
winner , Lee Mead, into the starring role and recruited a new army of
followers.. Keith Jack, who came second, now takes on the role of the
colourful coat lover in this latest production. The success and appeal of this show lies
in it's simplicity. There's no sub text here, no complex dialogue
– just catchy tunes, broad smiles and fab costumes. Throw in lots of
cute kids , some quality inflatable sheep and a show stopping Elvis and
the picture is complete. There's no time for subtlety here as big number follows big number with vibrancy and pizazz. Jennifer Potts as the Narrator with Keith Jack as Joseph Few would doubt Lloyd Webbers ability to
construct memorable tunes though he does rely rather a lot on reprises.
I would not go as far as saying I was getting bored with Close Every
Door but it was certainly losing its impact by the third reprisal. At the core of the show lies the narration
– beautifully and powerfully delivered by Jennifer Potts who swtiches
her voice effortlessly from sweet ballad to belting rock.
Narrative links are certainly needed here as action moves somewhat
randomly at times between different locations. Onion carrying,
bicycle riding, stripey shirt wearing French folk precede coconut
shaking calypso dancers and dozy doh cowboys in a surreal mix of
settings. Performances are upbeat and fresh as,
indeed, they should be at this level. . Keith Jack is assured and more
than competent in the title role. He is as close to a Disney character
in human form as its possible to be . Given the nature of the show though, this
is certainly no criticism. A strong performance, too, from
Adam Jarrell as Pharoh. He certainly got the lady in front of me in a
lather with his lip sneering and hip gyrating , and many more seemed to
concur. A strong ensemble cast keep the whole
thing moving at a pace and provided a visual feast at times. Mention too
should be made of the chorus of children from local school, Tettenhall
College who were onstage throughout the show lending their vocal support
and mostly refraining from fidgeting for the whole 2 hours. By the end of the umpteenth curtain
call, the audience were hooked. They stood up. They clapped. They
sang along and they left the theatre happy. And with this many
bums on seats , no doubt Mr. Kenwright is happy too.
**** THIS is one of those shows which keeps
coming back, pulling in large audiences and earning the same reaction -
a standing ovation at the end. With Andrew Lloyd Webber's music and Tim Rice's
clever lyrics it can hardly go wrong, and in truth it's a dream of a
musical. The names in the cast change but the result
doesn't, and in this production Keith Jack is excellent in the lead role
of Joseph, favourite son of Jacob but sold into slavery by his 11
jealous brothers. Jack was runner-up in the BBC talent show Any
Dream Will Do which searched for a new star to appear in the West
End's staging of the happy, full-of-fun musical, but after a run as
Narrator on the UK tour he is now No 1 on merit. His singing of Any
Dream Will Do is memorable. Jennifer Potts, a delight as the Narrator,
strings the action together nicely in this amusing version of the famous
biblical tale about the coat of many colours, and Adam Jarrell sparkles
as Pharaoh, particularly in the scene where he becomes a kind of Elvis
seeking Joseph's help in finding the reason behind his puzzling dream. The costumes and Henry Metcalfe's choreography in
Bill Kenwright's presentation are fine, too. James McCullagh is musical
director of a magical musical which runs to Sunday 06.03.11. It's as colourful and clever as Joseph's
fantastic coat.
Jennefer Marston
|
|
|
|
