Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat follows the biblical story of Joseph, the favourite son of Jacob, who is gifted a beautiful and colourful coat, instilling jealousy and irritation among his eleven other siblings. They decide to do the perfectly rational thing and sell Joseph into slavery, a threat many siblings have made, but none so successfully executed. This 70s camp musical follows his journey from slave to saviour, all thanks to his magical prophetic dreams.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat has been circling our stages since 1968, but without a doubt, the starring face of this musical has been music legend Donny Osmond. He now returns to the stage, not as Joseph, but instead taking on the satirical role of the Elvis-adjacent Pharoah of Egypt. Decked out in golden sparkles, Osmond dazzles and brightens up the second act of this standard rendition of the musical. With every “uh-huh” and “oh yeah” he shows off that he’s vocally still got it – a refreshing change from some of the musical legends that have recently been carted out onto stage. The atmosphere amongst the audience was absolutely buzzing on his dazzling Las Vegas entrance, and I certainly wasn’t prepared for the level of fan girls amongst the older crowd as they fought over the scarf he tossed into the audience!
Osmond, however, is only the cherry on top of this fabulous multi-coloured cake, with an excellently choreographed cast, adorably hilarious children, and a noble Joseph, played by Adam Filipe. Though lacking gravitas in group scenes, Filipe earns his colours in his solo performances that send pangs through the audiences’ hearts. His rendition of “Close Every Door to Me” beautifully exposes a raw, emotionally vulnerable side to an otherwise boastful and slightly arrogant character, providing a much-needed likeability towards him.
The accompanying ensemble is made up of charming children, adorned with beards and cheeky smiles, who provide the comedic side to the play, performing as hyperbolic adult characters. The costumes that accompany this ensemble tread the line admirably between camp and culturally accurate, a balance that in the past this show struggled to achieve.
The only slight letdown for me was the narrator, played by Christina Bianco, who, although seamlessly flitting between side characters, performed her main role in a grating, overexaggerated manner. The small attempt to modernise this groovy classic felt hollow, with the attempt at a selfie a personal low for me. Nevertheless, she portrayed an encouraging character fit for the panto, and what’s not to love about a couple of excessive cheeky winks and smiles.
This production was a brilliant alternative to the festive pantos and is a delightfully light evening of entertainment that, by its end, has everyone on their feet singing along. You really should Go-Go-Go see this magically mesmerising production fit for all the family this Christmas season!
Image ‘JATATD – Donny Osmond as Pharaoh and Company 2’ by Tristram Kenton provided by Edinburgh Playhouse Press Release