Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Go, Go, Go Wookey Theatre Group!

First produced in London’s West End in 1973, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is one of the UK’s older and much loved shows. It’s a musical comedy telling the biblical story of Joseph, son of Jacob, and his coat of many colours – but Wookey’s production, directed by Polly Carroll and produced by Ann Gouldney, keeps the show fresh, modern and well and truly alive.

WTG absolutely knock the style and tone of this show out of the park. With simple understated and inventive use of props, costumes and minimal set creating magically camp moments, this is a riotous show which thoroughly entertains and invites the audience to laugh. An energetic, tongue in cheek performance that is colourful and light-hearted. I defy anyone not to leave with a smile on their face and humming ‘Any Dream Will Do’ for the rest of the week!

The story moves along at a joyously rocketing pace, with wit and gusto, led by Caroline Hoare playing the Narrator. Caroline is barely off-stage and is outstanding at guiding the audience from the opening number with her engaging presence and incredible singing voice. Steve French as Joseph gives a wonderful performance, brilliantly delivering a combination of favourite-son-smugness with charismatic heroism. His rendition of ‘Close Every Door‘ was a vocal highlight, beginning sensitively and moving to a stirring finish.

The brothers provide brilliant comic set pieces in the show, filling the stage with their huge presence, dramatic energy and impressive beards! ‘Those Canaan Days‘ and ‘One More Angel in Heaven’ are simply brilliant. And after all the cleverly choreographed comedy (a goat! a camel!), their emotional epiphany at the end of the story is quite genuinely moving.

Steve Collinson, wonderful as patriarch Jacob, really shines in the role of Potiphar and his fantastic comedy delivery is a delight. This monochrome reimagining is wonderful to watch as Potiphar and his wife (played beautifully to the vampish max by Rosie Winstone, like a slinky Cruella de Vil) stitch up our hero and land him in jail. Pharaoh, played by Mark Parry, delivers his much-anticipated song with all the enthusiastically gold-robed, Elvis-inspired gyrating and thrusting we wanted.

This show relies on simple storytelling through epic music, which embraces a plethora of musical genres, calypso, French cabaret and rock n roll. The sheer musicality demonstrated by WTG is astonishing and without doubt, took this performance to the next level. The complex harmonies are stunning, and when the backing track dropped for a couple of acapella sections, the unaccompanied voices filling the hall created an utterly spine-tingling and memorable musical moment.

Many of these harmonies were sung by the chorus of children, a clearly talented ensemble whose rainbow-clad vivacity gives the production such exuberance and spirit as they are singing their hearts out. Through many costume changes and dance moves, this young chorus is impressively energetic in their delivery and make this performance really special.

From beginning to end, the creativity of the production team shines through the intimacy of the space and clever delivery for their overall vision of the show. What an outstanding team of creative excellence this small village theatre group has put together – from costumes and set design, to sound and lighting. Well done to all involved – you truly deserve a standing ovation every performance!