Review: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat has been around for over 50 years and is a hugely popular show. Audiences have certain expectations, so it’s a brave director who takes a chance and does something different.

Director Laurence Connor has retained much of the authenticity of the original, but has deviated strongly in the use of children. Gone is the usual children’s choir of backing singers; this group of children is wholly integrated into the production, playing parts normally taken by adults.

I have to say, for me, it doesn’t quite work. Having four young boys in false beards joining seven excellent actors as Joseph’s brothers diminishes the overall impact of the brothers’ songs. The boys are good young performers, but they can’t match the skill and confidence of the adults.

Similarly having children play adult roles such as Potiphar, the Butler and the Baker when their voices don’t yet have the required timbre feels an odd choice. It makes the production feel more like a school play than a professional show. The intention may be an acknowledgement that the roots of this musical are in school productions, but the effect is a loss of polish.

There is much to enjoy here, even so. On the night I saw the show, Joseph was played by understudy Davide Fienauri, with a charming and engaging performance. His vocals are clear and strong and his rendition of Close Every Door in particular is very impressive, starting unaccompanied and building to a powerful climax. It’s one of the show highlights.

The Narrator is played by the hard working and very talented Christina Bianco. In this production she also plays Potiphar’s wife, Jacob and the jailer. She is an energetic performer with an excellent voice, but taking on those extra characters is distracting, especially when she has to keep pulling down Jacob’s false beard to sing Narrator lines. She performs Potiphar’s wife seductively, but when Potiphar is played by a child, some of the humour unfortunately misses the mark.

The set design by Morgan Large is glorious, every scene is a visual delight, especially the extravagance of Egypt with illuminated hieroglyphics and a gigantic statue of Anubis which amusingly sings some of the backing vocals in Song of the King. Joe McElderry as Pharaoh gets top billing, despite only having a couple of scenes in Act 2. He is very entertaining in the role, with great comic timing and strong stage presence. This is not the usual Elvis impression, but there is definitely a Las Vegas feel and McElderry is clearly enjoying himself, which translates well to the audience.

There is far more choreography here than in many productions of this musical. It’s not a long show and many of the numbers are extended with additional choreography. There’s an impressive tap number by the adult brothers and a witty Can Can added into the Frenchness of Those Canaan Days, which is another show highlight.

All credit to the production team for trying to do something different with this hugely popular show. This reviewer remains unconvinced, but the audience was fully engaged in the megamix finale, and applauded and cheered enthusiastically.

Lyrics by: Tim Rice
Music by: Andrew Lloyd Webber
Directed by: Laurence Connor
Choreographed by: Joann M Hunter
Orchestrations by: John Cameron
Music supervision/direction by: John Rigby
Set and costumes designed by: Morgan Large

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat plays at Sheffield’s Lyceum Theatre until Saturday 12 July. It tours until Tuesday 19 August.