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The dream goes on for Joseph
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Coventry Belgrade
***** GOING to see Joseph is like seeing an old
friend. I’ve seen it many times in many settings, but Bill Kenwright’s
is amazing, full of razzamatazz and showbiziness and somehow it
maintains an integral honesty – probably because of its stars. Lloyd Daniels is making his debut in musical
theatre as Joseph, a great Joseph and a warm presence, Matt Lapinskas
(wasted in EastEnders) as Elvis/Pharoah is great to watch and can’t half
sing! Amelia Lily does really well as the narrator, a hard part to sing
because of its range and size, and is probably the best thing to come
out of This is a supremely enjoyable and watchable
production, and it’s good to see a family show where whole generations
are in the audience and children from Stagecoach Coventry and Solihull
who sat and sang on stage throughout made a homely touch that added
immensely to the show. A real band in a real pit also does it for me. If you cast your mind back to Sunday School, the
story will come flooding back. Joseph is the second youngest of 12
brothers and favourite to dad Jacob (Henry Metcalf who also
choreographs!). On top of the ignominy of Joseph’s bragging of his
dreams of greatness, Jacob makes Joseph a colourful coat, the brothers
are jealous of Joseph and sell him as a slave to the Egyptians, telling
dad he’s been eaten by a goat. There are bits I don’t remember from Sunday
School. For example, Joseph is bought by Potiphar and tempted beyond
reason by his unfaithful wife; Joseph succumbs and is back in jail –
until Pharoah, tormented by strange dreams sends for Joseph to explain
them, which lands Joseph a job building up stocks for forthcoming
famine. I really enjoyed – and, oh boy, they milked it –
those Canaan Days, with accordions, Eiffel Tower and striped jerseys,
onions and bikes – delivered at a snail’s pace by the 11 brothers
starving back in Canaan. They set off to This is first-class entertainment, a great story
well told. Well, well worth a look. To 25.4.15 Jane Howard
21-04-15
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