JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT

Bill Kenwright presents at

The Lyceum Theatre Sheffield and then on tour around UK

I entered the Lyceum Theatre as a virgin to Joseph and after it was all over I must admit to feeling well and truly (how do I say this) used and abused! Apparantly, so I was informed, Joseph is one of those productions that is always sold out and admittedly the theatre was very full indeed. However, certainly on this evidence, it really did look like a show that had gone on and on and on and on……..and now we’re having to suffer for it.

As we took our seats and settled down we were treated to a light show bouncing around on the stage curtains and accompanied by various passages of music, no doubt taken from the show. This seemed to go on forever and made the audience increasingly restless. Perhaps (in a reverse psychology tactic) this made us all the more grateful when the curtain finally did rise and the play began. And certainly things did seem to begin very well.

Whilst holding onto two young girls in front of a background of palm trees and the sphinx, the narrator, Amanda Claire, began her tale of Joseph. Miss Clair’s singing voice was wonderfully bright, fresh and most importantly of all, tuneful. She really sold the song and at this the audience were set up for hopefully a wonderful evening of musical theatre. Which we should have, had Joseph not chosen that precise moment to arrive on stage.

Craig Adams, who played Joseph appeared as the favoured son and perhaps deliberately (as part of his characterisation) seemed very bored. Perhaps, for one scene, considering the narrative, this may have been excusable, until we realised he intended to carry this lethargy with him for the rest of the show. Apparently Mr Adams has played Joseph many times before, and perhaps therein lays the heart of the problem. Mr Adams performance, indeed this entire production looked rehearsed into damnation. Tired, with no passion, no real meaning and indeed no real heart. If the original production of Joseph was the musical equivalent of a Van Gogh or a Picasso, then this was simply a ‘painting by numbers’ set to put in your Christmas stocking. No-one really seemed to believe that the words they were speaking or songs they were singing had any real meaning (and perhaps they don’t – but for God’s sake at least try!)

I’ve always passionately believe that Actors are Artists and not as some would have you believe, ’Crafts-people’. Musical theatre or just plain old theatre is not crochet, carpentry or plumbing – all crafts. Theatre is Art! Actors are Artists!

Unfortunately it was very evident in this production that most of the cast considered this to simply be their day job and no doubt most of them will feel that attitude is perfectly reasonable. And if you want a tired, overdone, uninvolving production of Joseph, I suppose it is.

As an experience, however, I can see how some of the songs could be made into truly moving experiences if the actors could manage to act as well as they undoubtedly sing.

Amanda Clair as the narrator was a shining light for this production and how the audience wished there was more of her. Russel Hicken as the overweight comedy brother and baker made much out of the scarce material he had to play with.

Unfortunately the rest of the cast appeared to be there simply to pick up the cheque – like good craftsmen should. Shame!