Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Joseph & The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat

Stage One 2000 Youth Group

2/.4/.26

 

Stage One Youth had a full house at the Gladstone Theatre for this historically popular musical. We are introduced to this biblical story by the narrators Lily Criddle and Anna Phillips. Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is a sung-through musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, based on the character Joseph from the Bible's Book of Genesis. This was the first Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical to be performed publicly: their first collaboration. This family-friendly retelling of Joseph, with its familiar themes, and catchy music have resulted in numerous stagings.

Jacob (Jayden Wensley) favours his son Joseph (Sam Darker), gifting him a vibrant, multi-coloured coat (Joseph’s Coat), which causes his eleven brothers to become deeply envious. The brothers’ jealousy is compounded by Joseph's dreams, which suggest that he is destined to rule over them ("Joseph's Dreams"). To stop this from happening, they decide to kill ,then change their minds and sell him as a slave to some passing  Ishmaelites. The Narrators comments on how powerless Joseph was to stop this ("Poor, Poor Joseph"). To hide what they have done, Joseph's brothers and their wives tell Jacob that his beloved son has been killed. As proof, they show him Joseph's coat, which they have torn to pieces and covered in goat's blood ("One More Angel in Heaven"). When the devastated Jacob exits, the brothers and wives cheerfully celebrate Joseph's departure.

Stage One love a challenge, none more so than the Director Brenda Davies, what a cast this was, I can honestly say every one on stage was amazing.Sam Darker’s Joseph is extremely likeable and he has the most amazing voice, great performance.. The second he ended a number the audience would erupt and rightly so. The supporting cast is equally important and includes a range of colourful characters such as the Pharaoh (Alfie Greer), who was hysterical, impersonating Elvis to perfection, the audience loved him. The Potiphar’s (Caleb Henderson- Hunt & Mia Haslam) good performances made the most of their time on stage.

Joseph’s brothers are an eclectic lot, all eleven of them: Amelia Carter, Sean Gilroy-Traynor, Rue Thomas, Chrisell Kenyon, Callum Bailey, Freya Smith, Roisin Cairns, Jake Fisher, Emilia Delaney, Mollie Elliott and Daisy and Vernon They each shine in certain moments of the show but as a group they are splendid. There is nothing better than live music, it is catchy, upbeat, and infectious, with a blend of musical styles that ranges from rock and roll to country to. The songs are memorable and instantly recognizable, with some of the most popular numbers including “Any Dream Will Do,” “Close Every Door,” and “Go, Go, Go Joseph.”. Musical Director Sian James, her band members, Andrw Peckham, Lynsey Blair, Gorden Macey, Rosemary Sims, Steve Jones, Andrew Hutchinson, and Pete Moss Marino thank you for your musical expertise.

Potiphar , a powerful man in Egypt, takes Joseph as a slave. However, Joseph is imprisoned even though he is innocent, after being falsely accused of seducing Potiphar's wife . While in prison, Joseph gains a reputation for interpreting dreams, after meeting two of Pharaoh’s servants, a Butler (Faith Wood) and a baker (Lily Abbott) he successfully forecast their future. Years later, the Pharaoh  (Alfie Greer depicted as an Elvis-style figure) is troubled by recurring dreams. The butler remembers Joseph; he is summoned by the Pharaoh to interpret his dreams about a coming famine he predicts seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. Impressed, Pharaoh appoints Joseph his right-hand man to manage Egypt’s food stores. When famine hits Canaan ('Those Canaan'), Joseph’s starving brothers travel to Egypt to beg for food ('Grovel Grove'l). They do not recognise Joseph, but he recognises them and tests their character by framing the youngest, Benjamin (Mollie Elliott), for theft. When the brothers offer to sacrifice themselves for Benjamin, Joseph sees they have changed (‘The Brothers come to Egypt’). He reveals his identity, and the family is joyously reunited.

The ensemble is crucial to the success of this production; they bring energy and vitality way above their young age. Plus, numerous dance numbers, pulling all the pieces of the story together and they do so with buckets of charisma. Everyone on the Gladstone stage were truly exceptional.

Joseph really is the ultimate feel-good musical, as the entire company came onto the stage for one final number, the audience erupted, cheering and clapping, singing along. Congratulations Stage One 2000 on an exceptional performance indeed. On leaving the Gladstone Theatre still with ‘Any Dream will Do’ buzzing in ears we all felt we had seen something very special.

 

Joanne Rymer

NODA

District 4

 

 

 

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