Thursday Theatre Thoughts: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat

Gabrielle Hammond

Hola amigos. Thursdays just keep coming round quicker than the one before! Anyways, you are in for a treat as this musical is a total feel-good classic. Now, I know I say each week "this is one of my favourites" but this one truly is, and one I have loved all through my childhood. It's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. A mouthy title for sure but I will try not to be too mouthy about my thoughts below. Buckle in and please don't close every door to me (cringe but funny). 

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat is a non-dialogue musical, so the story is told solely through song and dance. This is what makes it such an enjoyable watch. It isn't really a serious musical as such, but more of a musical aimed at all ages and being a feel good one with a lot of great bangers. I have watched it once as a child at the Regent which I remember vaguely and again last year in Norwich for its tour revival. All versions differ heavily from each other in costumes, cast sizes, and set, so it is a musical you always should go to with an open mind.

In brief, the musical focuses on the biblical story of Joseph, his jealous brothers, his dad (Jacob) and Jacob's many wives. Joseph is the favourite child and gets a coat of many colours. When his brothers find out about this, they plot revenge by selling him as a slave. He works his way up as a slave with not many prospects to the leader of Egypt due to his wonderous ability to read people's dreams. The story is portrayed through the female narrator, one of the hardest roles (in my opinion) someone can play in musical theatre. It is a constant stream of song after song, of extremely high demand, both vocally and physically. 

The music covers ballads, calypso, country and rock and roll. Whatever you do though, the film version is probably not the one to watch. It's definitely a musical that you need to watch live to get the full experience of it. I must say, Andrew Lloyd Webber did a marvellous job with this musical; it’s vibrant, fun and diverse. 

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