25th April 2017 at Nottingham's Theatre Royal for the Nottingham Post
To be totally honest, this show is bonkers. Who could have believed that the story of Joseph and his biblical tale of sibling jealousy and betrayal could be retold with the inclusion of cowboys, Elvis and inflatable sheep (the latter who were badly behaved and refused to do their job on several occasions during the evening)?
However, combining the genius of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice and Bill Kenwright, it's no surprise that Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat has been wowing audiences and receiving 5 star reviews for so many years.
Joe McElderry, 2009 X Factor winner and multi-million selling recording artist, once again dons the coat of many colours to play Joseph in this 50th anniversary tour, after a successful stint last year. McElderry's voice is flawless and ideally suited to this role, particularly for the heartrending Close Every Door, which he sings superbly and with a spine-tingling fervour and backs up with some more than adequate acting.
Lucy Kay is, quite simply, outstanding in the principal role of the Narrator. With a voice that is powerful and pitch perfect and with the ability to inject passion into every scene, she is the glue that pulls the story together, skilfully assisted by a very talented ensemble cast.
The show moves along at a fast pace, with one memorable song swiftly following another. Any Dream Will Do, Coat of Many Colours and the maddeningly catchy and comical One More Angel in Heaven are just a few of tonight's tunes that will be rattling around in my head for days to come.
The swift-footed choreography, colourful scenery and clever costume changes, blended with just the right amount of comedy, all combine to create a show that will make you laugh, cry and occasionally wonder what on earth is happening and why the Pharaoh is dressed as Elvis!
Tonight's audience, which seemed to include many die-hard fans of the show, were more than happy to join in with a storming encore of songs at the end and give the cast a well-deserved standing ovation. This really is a dream of a production and one that will leave you singing in the aisles.