Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – Milton Keynes Theatre

Alexandra Burke, Jac Yarrow and ensemble in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Milton Keynes Theatre and Touring. Picture: Tristram Kenton

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat continues at Milton Keynes Theatre until 24 September 2022 and then tours until 29 October 2022.

Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

It’s hard to believe that a simple 15-minute musical composition for a school concert would become a global hit, and still be playing to devoted audiences over half a century later, but that’s exactly what happened with Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Created by legendary duo Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice when they were barely out of their teens, the musical underwent huge reworkings from its inception in 1968 to its official opening in 1974 as the version we know today.  Based on stories from the book of Genesis, the show has been famously led by Jason Donovan, Phillip Schofield, Donny Osmond and Lee Mead, and many fans all over the world know the 28 colours of that infamous dreamcoat by heart. The musical has seen recent success in London with runs at the Palladium, and that production has been touring the UK since March this year, which is currently playing at the Milton Keynes Theatre.

Surprisingly dark at times for a show squarely aimed at children, the story sees Joseph ousted by his brothers after receiving a multicoloured coat as a gift and seen as their father’s favourite son. The show follows Joseph as he’s banished, sold into slavery and imprisoned, eventually finding his way again through his deciphering of dreams and becoming valuable to the Pharaoh of Egypt.

The songs are lyrically heavy and much will go over younger audience members’ heads, but where Joseph excels is in its visuals and its music. Children won’t care that Joseph avoids execution by predicting seven years of thriving crops followed by seven years of famine, they’re too busy being dazzled by the array of colour on the stage and bouncing around to the songs, and therein lies its strength.

It’s a great introduction to theatre for youngsters, as a source of energetic colour and vibrant energy. It’s fair to say much of Joseph’s success lies in nostalgia for its audiences; people who grew up with the show end up taking their children, who then take their children, and in that vein it remains eternally young and timeless, even musically. Webber may have been still honing his craft when the musical was created, but even this early work shows his canny ear for a memorable melody, and the score still sounds great in its mid-fifties.

Succinctly directed by Laurence Connor, Joseph nips along at an efficient pace, never letting the audience get bored or making them wait too long for the next memorable song. Morgan Large’s costumes and sets look great; with every colour under the sun being seen on that stage at some point it’s a feast for the eyes, particularly the Vegas-inspired depiction of Egypt. The scene with Joseph’s imprisonment also impresses, where Ben Cracknell’s lighting design is stunning and makes ‘Close Every Door’ even more powerful.

Joseph is led by a strong cast who really do sell the material. Alexandra Burke is on fine form as The Narrator, appearing perhaps the most comfortable she’s ever looked on stage, and combining the vocals she perfected in The Bodyguard with the comedy skills she gained from Sister Act into a really rounded performance.

Jac Yarrow continues to impress in the title role, showing no signs of fatigue despite playing the role since 2019. He’s massively likeable with a fantastic voice (his rendition of ‘Close Every Door’ is exceptional) and he’ll secure numerous leading roles in the near future. Bobby Windebank is also great as the Pharaoh, channelling the Elvis persona needed for the role and attacking it with great energy.

While it’s not the best musical ever written (it’s not even Webber’s best musical), Joseph continues to entertain with a winning combination of a likeable score and (techni)colorful spectacle. As the finale Megamix kicks off and you see children dancing in their seats while the bright colours dance over their smiling faces, you realise why it works. For many people it’s the first show they ever saw, inspiring them to see more, which looks set to remains its legacy and help bring new audiences to theatres for years to come.

Rob Bartley