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A smart, prickly and rewarding view of sexual and emotional confusion
Cock
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This is a peculiar play and does not work for me. Some of it is very funny but there are real flaws
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London,
Nicholas de Jongh's rating
Reader rating
Dir: Anthony Van Laast (choreographer.
Cast: Jenna Lee-James, Dean Collinson, Stephen Tate, Gareth Gates
Description: Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical that tells the story of a son sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. Gareth Gates stars.
Trains: Tube: Charing Cross 
Phone: 0870895 5598
Website: www.rutheatres.com
Mead has a powerful singing voice but his acting lacked energy
Dream role: Lee Mead takes his bows along with the rest of the cast after their first night at the Adelphi
Mead won the BBC's talent show Any Dream Will Do to land the role of Joseph
Mead lacks the charisma of Phillip Schofield or Jason Donovan
For those of us, aged 10 and over, who do not take musicals too seriously, this earliest of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's shows, still does the comic-satirical business with amusing gusto. It offers a seductive blend of camp, kitsch, and cool mockery of a few Old Testament dreamers and tough-boys, not to mention the sound of Lloyd Webber in first romantic and triumphal form.
This gawdy, hand-clapping, seductive revival, based upon the popular 1991 production by Steven Pimlott who died in February, jubilantly keeps a satirical tongue in its cheek as it unfolds on a stage that does not need to bother with multi-million-pound, scenic sensations.
The Bible is cut down to very human proportions, with a kids' choir in noisy attendance. Stephen Tate's heavily bearded Jacob sits in an ornate deckchair. A few sheep, who pass across the stage, are of the made-in-the-workshop sort, while a belching camel turns out to be similarly man-made.
Designer Mark Thompson's set resembles two tilted gold-framed rectangles, into whose space burst a monocled Potiphar with a campish collection of brilliantined friends in white and Dean Collinson's ardent Pharaoh, a spooky premonition of what Elvis Presley would sound like in his plumper, middle-age as he belts out King Of My Heart.
The final image - of Lee Mead's redeemed Joseph elevated high above the stage on a tiny, personal platform - might almost be sending up the current craze for amazing us with brave, new theatrical technology, if he were not, perhaps, joyfully ascending to heaven.
Mead himself, who emerged as the hero of the BBC series Any Dream Will Do, flaunts quite the smallest ego of any Joseph I have seen. He sports the long, curly hair of a Seventies footballer and a powerful, melodious voice that makes the best of Close Every door, the show's single, genuinely sad song to Tim Rice's despairing, masochistic lyrics. Mead delivers it in the cells, to Lloyd Webber's plangent, heartfelt music, with pathos. Yet his Joseph looms small, faint and insignificant when not singing. His acting lacks energy.
His Joseph does not suffer. The charisma of Phillip Schofield or Jason Donovan, Mead's most recent predecessors, passes him by. Preeya Kalidas's Narrator makes her pretty presence felt but the voice sounds shrill.
These limitations do not much reduce the special pleasures of the occasion. For Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat remains at its best lightly sending up the bible story on which it relies.
The music and the staging offers no end of appealing parody. So One More Angel in Heaven, that country and western lament for the Joseph handed over to the Ishmaelites and sung by his load of hypocritical brothers, delightfully spoofs the preachy, moroseness of the musical genre it uses.
Potiphar's Twenties high society world looks a triumph of crazy, mixed-up taste, with men exposing bare legs and white socks, while Potiphar's wife (Verity Bentham) plumbs the depths of come-hitherish vulgarity. The Pharaoh's world evokes with affectionate relish the atmosphere of an ancient cinema epic visited by Elvis Presley.
Nichola Treherne is credited as associate director, but I suspect the show's co-producer, Bill Kenwright, took a prime hand in the direction, as this evening of delightfully nuanced joie de vivre and spirited jokiness recalls elements of his own production four years ago.
What the other critics say
The Guardian, Michael Billington "Somewhere inside this big, fat show there is a small, delightful musical struggling to get out. Lee Mead ... is a perfectly decent Joseph."
The Daily Mail, Quentin Letts "Trivial? You bet. Goosed to within an inch of its life? Undeniably. But it is amusing and agreeable and perfect for 10-year-olds, as well as grown-ups who have had a couple of sharp ones in the bar beforehand."
The Times, Benedict Nightingale "Lee Mead ... turns out to be both talented and enthusiastic. You forgive the show's occasional vulgarity and relish what's best about it: its youthful exuberance."
The Daily Telegraph, Charles Spencer "Nichola Treherne has revived the late and sorely missed Steven Pimlott's 1991 production with terrific brio . Joseph looks like being a surefire hit all over again."
The Independent, Rhoda Koenig "The real star is Steven Pimlott's production of 1991. It shows ... what gold-plated professionalism can do for even this simple story.
The Daily Mirror, Alun Palmer "Lee showed that he was a West End star just waiting for a chance to shine."
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
EMPIRE THEATRE, Liverpool Saturday February 21 2009
Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat has come back with a bang to the Liverpool Empire.
This is a feel good family night out that gives good value for money. It is a vibrant, colourful and high energy show that had the audience on their feet clapping and singing along to their favourite songs, including Any Dream will Do and Close Every Door
Composer Lloyd-Webber’s Any Dream television contest has brought a whole new audience to this sell-out show.
And taking the key role of Joseph was one of the finalists, Antony Hansen, who puts in a sterling performance. His voice is a sheer delight, mellow in the quieter moments, yet rich and powerful, and filling the auditorium when it matters.
The show is a patchwork of colour, humour, outrageous moments like blow-up sheep and singing camels and even a rock’n’roll Elvis pharaoh - a sexy Wayne Smith. There are even Caribbean and cowboy scenes in this extraordinary production. But for a simple tale that’s what makes it a fun night out.
Narrator Tara Bethan, a finalist in another Lloyd Webber tv contest, I’ll Do Anything, linked the story together and although in the quieter phrases her voice was mellow and rounded, when she reached for the higher and louder notes it sounded strident. It’s a show that gives one a warm glow in these cold and cash strapped times.
- Jeanette Smith, Merseyside
Saw Gareth Gates at the opening night last night......................a m a z i n g !!!!!!!
Gareth really makes us believe in the flawed Joseph, vain, yet irresistably likeable, humourous and done down yet powerful and triumphant in the end..
A great night by everyone in the show, but a triumph for Gareth
The audience loved him!!!! The last few scenes had me in tears.
- Fiona Bailey, huntingdon
Absolutely brilliant. Words can't describe it adequately. I had a grin on my face from beginning to end. Well worth the trip from Manchester.
- Sheila O'Dowd, Eccles, England
Brilliant! Lee Mead was fantastic and the whole cast shone around him. Well worth the 11 hours on the train there and back to see. I can't recommend it highly enough. The audience were enthralled and the reaction Lee Mead received was immense. A must see.
- Amanda, UK
Never mind about Lee Meed (although I'm sure he is very good) the real star of Joseph is Jonathan Parkin who played Joseph on tour at the beginning of this year. He is everything you could ask for in a 'Joseph' - great singing, wonderful acting (able to take Joseph on his journey from young dreamy boy to the prince of Egypt!) and looks very good in a loin cloth! Keep your eyes peeled because I predict he will be the up and coming star of the West End very soon! Good luck to you JP.
- Mia H, Buckingham
Don't listen to the critics it's what the public think that counts.I saw Joseph in the preview week and it was fabulous.I watched Lee very carefully and you could see he was having the time of his life,as for the audience you could hear a pin drop.Lee is a fresh face to the west end,he gave the performance of his life,it's not fair to keep comparing him to Jason and Phillip no two actors are the same everbody interprets the story of Joseph differently.How boring it would be if they were all the same.
Lee is very good,a standing ovation at the end of the show proved that.
Keep your chin up Lee your doing really well. A good show all round
- Chris C, uk
I too was privileged to have tickets for the first night performance even though I have tickets booked for November. It was a FANTASTIC show, such an experience to be part of that memorable occasion - I have never been to a musical where the atmosphere was go good, you felt that you were part of it. The standing ovations would be enough to convince me that the audience loved Lee and the rest of the cast. Certainly a show that I would certainly want to see again and again.
- Ann Ryland, London United Kingdom
Havent seen it yet but Lee would make any production a treat to the eyes and ears. I cant wait.
- Sandra, Angus, Scotland
Lee Mead was funny, sweet, dramatic and enchanting. He sent shivers down my spine during Close Every Door. What more can you ask from a lead? Do not listen to "Mead lacks the charisma of Phillip Schofield or Jason Donovan" - I saw Phillip Schofield in Joseph in 1992 and this show and Mead beats it hands down (no offence Phillip). Fantastic! Must See!
- Rebecca Carpenter, Bow, London
His acting lacks energy? His charisma can not match that of Phillip Schofield or Jason Donovan? What a load of tosh! Obviously a man's subjective opinion. Ask any woman and you'll hear the opposite. His whole performance and appearance is a feast for eyes and ears.
And let him grow into the play, this is only the first week!
- Annette Witte, UK
Good to read such a detailed 'technical' review. Haven't seen the show yet (next week) but your comment re Lee being 'small.. insignificant..' when not singing rang a bell for me. Isn't it this contrast between Lee as a shy and slightly nervous, and very unegotistical off stage persona and then his transformation of himself right into the song what really captivated audiences ? I.e. the vulnerability underlying the strength of his performances.
- Susan Rhodes, Surbiton, Surrey
Was privileged to be at the official opening night for Joseph and it was absolutely flawless. From the moment Joseph arrives on stage there is rapturous applause and cheers after every song. The People's Choice is definitely a winner! This show is one that must be seen again and again.
- Jackie Djemaa, London
