Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Joseph is one of those musicals that never ages, and infuses everything with colour, literally and figuratively. A completely sung musical with songs in virtually every genre of music possible, there is something for everything in the melodic score, and the messages of hope, of following your dreams, of forgiveness and love is certainly something we can all relate to no matter how old or young we are.

One of the many things that stands out in Uckfield Theatre Guild is the inclusivity of the group, and the embracing of diversity. In this particular show they have gender blind casting but also, age blind casting: an unusual choice, but one that really works. As we are not used to the concept it took a minute to understand the older age of the casting of Joseph, but as soon as Phil Ives started singing, any consternation melted away. Phil has one of the most glorious voices ever to grace the Uckfield Civic Centre stage: rich in quality and tone, a huge range, and pitch perfect. His performance of “Close Every Door To Me” lit by a spotlight in striped shadow as if through the bars of a prison window was so filled with emotion it was breath-taking, with many a tear in the audience: this has to be one of the best performances of Joseph ever on record. He infused Joseph not with arrogance but with naïveté, of gently blurting out his dreams without realising he was coming across to his brothers (but not the audience) as arrogant. His gentle energy and vulnerability in his portrayal at times was a truly excellent way to lead the whole team as the titular character of a massive ensemble cast.

The other major cast member who you need to be super is the Narrator, and Daisy-Anne was just that. The narrator’s songs are deceptively high yet she seemed to take them all in her stride, holding the show gently but firmly, rarely (if ever) off the stage. Another beautiful singing voice, clear and pitch perfect. When she and Phil Ives harmonised in certain places it was gorgeous, despite having completely different types of voices, they blended really well.

The set was beautifully simple and massively effective. A backdrop of white with a floor to ceiling size triangle opening in the centre, bordered by changing coloured lights was absolutely brilliant. It looked like a pyramid and served as the entrance for everyone coming and going, but so that sometimes people could be framed in the centre of the triangle opening. One such time was the entrance of Des Lavallie as the Pharaoh, dressed like Elvis as per tradition, where the whole audience erupted into the feel of a concert, and not only did he sing his song twice but also added another song which is not recognisable from the traditional soundtrack. He held a giant inflatable microphone which was very funny at the beginning, but because of its size did mask much of the facial expressions and muffled some of the words of the songs even with an individual microphone: the joke would have been equally funny if the mic had just been put away after the initial laughter.

Director and Musical Director Emma Creffield should be congratulated on such an ambitious version of this family favourite which is packed with performers, live orchestra, plus they have pulled out even more humour in certain areas. A good example of this is the fabulous, dramatic and hugely funny performance of “Those Canaan Days” led by Jack Taplin as Gad, and the added details within the song which worked beautifully. There are so many standout moments in this show, including a camel arriving through the audience, choreographed dancing in the aisles, a parachute of added colour coat opening up around Joseph at the end of the show, followed by confetti cannons. There are some pieces of lovely dance which we could happily have more of, including a modern ballet pas de deux with Sam Morris and Abi Kane. There are some lovely moments of ensemble standing out as well, a tiny girl in red in the front centre of the stage was enchanting everyone in the audience with her enthusiasm.

Everyone has come together to create a fabulous show, and every performer looked so happy on the stage and did incredibly well. It was so lovely to see a BSL Interpreter at the show and to read in the programme that she was there for every show. However, there were moments of blocking with so many on the stage, It might be nice to move the dancers from behind the interpreter to somewhere they can be seen better would be the only suggestion here.

This is one of Uckfield Theatre Guild’s finest productions and they deserve praise for creating such a quality, inclusive and diverse show. Joseph is uplifting and they have accentuated all the positives. A gorgeous production, well deserving of the full standing ovation they received at the end.

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