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Joseph
and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (New London Theatre)
"Jacob was the founder of a whole new nation/thanks to the
number of children he'd had/He was also known as Israel, but most
of the time/His sons and his wives, used to call him Dad"
It's
lyrics like these - full of as much compact information as irresistible
wit - that make lyricist Tim Rice's 1968 collaboration with composer
Andrew Lloyd Webber still hit home today.
A youthful
folly that is both ceaselessly tuneful and wonderfully inventive,
there's an infectious pleasure both to the tunes and the words.
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Jason
Donovan in the 1991 Palladium revival
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After
the vastly overblown, self-consciously camp London Palladium revival
in 1991 that starred Jason Donovan, it's really refreshing to engage
once again with this show in a far more modest production which
is much truer to the show's origins and real spirit.
jokiness
That's
partly to do with being cheesy instead of camp - to share the jokiness
already inherent in the score, rather than impose upon it with effects.
| "The
cartoon cut-out sets and naff panto choreography contribute
towards the genial, generous atmosphere..."
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The
cartoon cut-out sets and props and naff panto choreography contribute
towards the genial, generous atmosphere.
It's
also performed with a guileless enthusiasm by a cast that, former
Boyzone singer Stephen Gateley apart, is completely unknown (except,
of course, to their mothers).
As
for Gateley, though he's rather diminutive of both stature and voice
in the title role, he compensates with a nervous and eventually
winning charm.
Go,
go, go Gateley, you're doing just fine!
Joseph
and the...is at the New London Theatre, Drury Lane WC2 until 17
July. Tickets £15 - £40. Box Office: 0870 890 1110
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