Jac Yarrow in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the London Palladium. Picture: Tristram Kenton
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat continues at the London Palladium until 8 September 2019.
Star rating: two stars ★ ★ ✩ ✩ ✩
It’s large scale, spectacular, energetic and impressive. In other ways, however, this eagerly anticipated revival of the first real success the youthful Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber (both in the audience on press night) had is disappointing.
No show can, or should, be set in aspic. Of course new generations and different directors will reinterpret and spin it in new ways. Theatre would be very dull and a bit pointless if they didn’t. But Joseph is not a pantomime and it’s a serious mistake to turn it into one. The first rule of directing is that you have to trust the material.
Sheridan Smith as narrator has masses of stage presence and gets howls of audience appreciation simply for arriving on stage. But her constant beaming at the audience, knowing asides and the use of her native northern accent for homely, comic effect quickly become a weary irritation. She’s a pleasing singer and dancer, though, and works well with the children in the cast.
Ah yes – the children. They are one of the best things in this show. In this Joseph they have proper roles. For example they play the youngest brothers and Potiphar is an imperious child and very funny. And they take lots of minor parts. They are all beautifully cast, immaculately trained and pretty talented.
Also outstanding is Jac Yarrow as Joseph. He graduates from Arts Ed this term and I bet they’re so proud of him. He got a well deserved mid-show standing ovation for ‘Close Every Door’ on press night.
Jason Donovan’s hammed up pantomimic all-gold-glitter entrance as Pharaoh is suitably excessive – think The Mikado crossed with Aladdin – but oh dear, he is woefully weak as soon as he starts to sing his Elvis pastiche. The gestures are mildly amusing but the words are completely inaudible.
It’s all done with conviction, though, and there’s some fine choreography (JoAnn M. Hunter) sharply executed. And after they’ve pounded through a 10 minute post curtain party-style epilogue medley you leave the theatre feeling tired in sympathy. You also have a head full of tunes. This is vintage Lloyd Webber after all.
Susan Elkin
Tickets for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat are available HERE.
SHARE THIS POST:
Comments are closed.