Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Watching "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" usually leaves me with a big smile on my face and this performance did exactly that. In fact the inaugural production by Dream Kidz of Torrington kept me smiling all the way through. From the outset the enthusiasm and high energy of the cast was clear to see and, for the most part, remained so until the very last "amazing coloured coat" had flown from their lips. Unfortunately, however, due to the design of the set, there was no way to avoid noticing when some members of the chorus became tired and let their attention wander, finding the audience more interesting than the plot!

The Narrator was a joy. She was confident and relaxed, while her timing and perfect diction meant that we understood every word, which is more than I can say for many professionals. Joseph, similarly, gave a great performance, putting his own spin on the character. With his cheeky grin and laid back style of singing, he reminded me of Michael Boublé at times. Although his portrayal of the comedy is clearly stronger, he played the serious side of Joseph well too. All the brothers have obviously enjoyed working together and developing their own versions of the characters. The solos were, in the main, strong and well performed. I enjoyed them all but I particularly liked Reuben's rendition of "One More Angel in Heaven" for the way he engaged the audience and made us feel like part of the action. Potifar was played in a beautifully understated way and managed well not to actually trip over his faithless wife. I think for me, I would have preferred her seduction of Joseph to have been slightly further away, perhaps on the floor rather than the steps. Pharaoh certainly had the voice and the moves to impress and the whole number worked well.

The Choreographer did a good job, working to the strengths of the dance team and used the chorus well too, giving us a lovely overall movement in the company numbers and also managing the comedic element well. Though I did have to chuckle at the over enthusiasm of some of the little ones. In total, this was a thoroughly enjoyable show and I take my hat off to Liz Harris for bringing together such a diverse bunch of Kidz and helping them to bring such an impressive performance to the stage.

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