Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

As always for this group, there was a very clever set making full use of the limited space.  Stair cases on each side led to an upper level with a door underneath, thereby giving lots of levels as well as an additional entrance through the door in the centre of the stage.  I loved the camel which Joseph was able to ride and the chariot was stunning; such a shame it was seen for such a short period of time given the amount of hard work that must have gone into making it. The sphinx, which rose up at the top of stairs once Joseph arrived in Egypt, was also fabulous. The bars on the door at the back for the cell worked well, although I think I would have preferred Joseph to be on the other side of the bars in the beautiful light that was illuminating the space.  Other items such as the street lamp were wheeled or carried on by members of the cast when required, to keep scene changes to a minimum.

The Angels spent most of the show on the stairs, which framed the space nicely.  They provided some great choral singing when required, but unfortunately there was a noticeable difference in amplification when they were accompanying a cast member with a mic. The use of mics in such a small space was rather overpowering at times and perhaps the balance could have been improved by the mics being turned down a little and for the Angels to increase their volume.

Joseph had a strong, clear singing voice, was just the right age, had amazing hair and perfect for the role. A really excellent performance from this young man; well done. Other roles were all well portrayed and had a great energy. 

Music was provided by a small but very talented band, consisting of a keyboard, guitar and a percussionist who also played cello and accordion.  They produced a beautiful sound which didn’t overpower the small performance space and having live music really lifted the piece.

Costumes were simple but very effective, with the Angels all in white and the various characters dressed appropriately.  Lighting was terrific and I loved the huge volume of confetti that fell on to the stage at the end, which the children in the audience had a great time playing in after the show.

Choreography was very well put together and made the most of the limited space and varying abilities. There was a really good energy and humour in this production directed by Kate Courage.  I was reminded of what a joyous little piece of theatre Joseph is and the large audience obviously shared my view with their enthusiastic applause.  A few more children in the production would have been welcome and would have provided a fuller choral sound, but overall this was a well-crafted and very enjoyable production.

 

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