JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOUR DREAMCOAT - UK TOUR REVIEW | ROBBIE'S BACKSTAGE BANTS

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the regional press night of the Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat UK Tour at the New Victoria Theatre, Woking!

I had a lovely night, thanks to a warm welcome from Sam and the rest of the team. In this review, I will provide a spoiler-free detailing of my thoughts on this production.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat is a biblical musical written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. It follows the story of Joseph and his 11 brothers, who grow increasingly envious of him—until one day, they sell him off to some Ishmaelites. Joseph works hard but ends up imprisoned. When he realises his ability to read dreams, the Pharaoh decides to make Joseph his ‘number two’, and they work alongside each other to manage an upcoming famine. The story goes on, and the brothers do go back and see Joseph… but what happens there? You’ll have to see the show!

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice have created an extremely memorable score that sits in the hearts of audience members, young and old, who have enjoyed this musical countless times—and forever will, again and again! Joseph is timeless!

If you have seen Joseph before, this is not what you are expecting! Laurence Connor’s direction for this production has freshened up the piece without touching the integral things that we know and love about the show. The children’s chorus are much more involved, playing roles such as Potiphar, the Butler and the Baker. I will talk more about their performances further in the review, but it was great to have their excited energy injected into so many parts of this show. Another change you’ll find is that the Narrator plays many parts too, including ‘Jacob’ and ‘Potiphar’s wife’. These are just two changes that make this production unique—and really funny too!

Choreography by Joann M. Hunter fits the music well. Whilst I didn’t think anything looked particularly complex, I did enjoy its styling. I particularly enjoyed the choreography during the ‘Joseph’s Dreams’ tap sequence, the ending of Go Go Go Joseph, and the massive megamix which rounds off the show at the end!

Ben Cracknell’s lighting design never fails to amaze me—every second of the show was lit with expertise, and some really delightful states were created, especially in moments such as Close Every Door to Me whilst Joseph is in the cell.

The costume design was for the most part stunning. The design of Joseph’s multicoloured coat and the Narrator’s many costumes were possibly my favourites—especially the tap shoes designed to look like sandals, which I thought was rather impressive. Some ensemble costumes could have been more imaginative, but that is personal preference on my behalf, and I thought what was shown on stage fit the fun style of the piece very well! The set design for this production was immense. The set was simplistic and then decorated with extra pieces to change the location of the scene and transport the audience somewhere completely different. It was colourful and eye-catching, particularly during the Pharaoh scenes with those vibrant gold colours.

Casting was spot on for this production—not a single person was out of place in this cast.

Christina Bianco gives a flawless performance as the Narrator. It really helps to have someone with such fantastic stage presence in this role, and Bianco has this in bucketloads. Her ability to switch character for ‘Jacob’, Potiphar’s wife, and her own character of the Narrator makes for some really hilarious moments, and her silly energy is completely unmatched. This role was made for performers like Christina—and with her powerhouse vocal talent on top of all that I have previously mentioned, it made for a truly outstanding and captivating performance.

One of the best portrayals I have ever seen of the character of ‘Joseph’ came from Adam Filipe. Filipe did something that I have never really seen done in this role before, and that is bring a character to it. Whilst many performers play the part solely for the vocal moments, Adam Filipe brings beautiful vocals and tells a story at the same time. My jaw was dropped hearing his rendition of Close Every Door to Me, and his performance overall was such a pleasure to watch.

I was sceptical about Joe McElderry’s brave return to this show, having enjoyed him as Joseph back in Leeds in 2017. Now playing the Pharaoh, McElderry really surprised me—I absolutely loved his performance. Each person who plays the Pharaoh brings themself to the role as well as playing his Elvis-esque character, and McElderry brought his own style, with some impressive vocal riffs and lots of camp energy! He really is the King, and I’m glad I saw him in this role.

The children’s ensemble—who in many productions are often left at the back of the stage singing backing vocals—are now really involved in the show. They take part in dance breaks, play many minor characters throughout the story, and on the whole are just very involved in the piece, turning it into a ‘telling of the story’ and putting on costumes to play the characters—a concept which I really enjoyed! The talent of the children was fabulous; they all had ounces and ounces of energy, and I bet that didn’t stop when they left the theatre. It’s always nice to see the next generation of performers beginning in roles such as these, and I’m sure it won’t be long until they are leading productions up and down the country.

Hugh Cotton as Reuben was a standout amongst the brothers for his brilliant performance of One More Angel in Heaven with lovely vocals and a strong character, as was Will Haswell as Simeon, singing Those Canaan Days, which was hilarious to watch and listen to, as they all donned French accents too!The rest of the ensemble of Brothers, Wives and other characters were a tight bunch of performers who gave an energetic and eye-catching performance, which really ties the show together in a nice little bow.

Overall, this is such a joyous show. This production of Joseph is a fresh take on a timeless classic—colourful, fun, and exciting to watch. I would recommend this to any fan of musicals, but it’s also a great one to take children to as a first musical. This production in particular would be greatly suited to children as well as adults.

The show will be running in Woking at the New Victoria Theatre until Saturday 7th June before moving on to finish its tour, which you can find information on here!

Thank you for reading my thoughts on this! If you see the show, let me know what you thought!!

5th May 2025

Robbie Davies | Robbie’s Backstage Bants