REVIEW: JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT @ THEATRE ROYAL PLYMOUTH

🎭 Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

📍  The Lyric, Theatre Royal Plymouth, Royal Parade, Plymouth, Devon, PL1 2TR

🗓 Thursday 26th June 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️

NO, NO, NO JOSEPH

JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT has long been one of my favourite musicals and I've lost count of how many times I've seen it on the stage over the years. When the latest production came to Plymouth last week I made sure I booked myself a ticket. Unfortunately though this production fell short of my expectations.

I have to start by saying that the cast were fantastic. It was great to see such a large cast, especially the female ensemble which has been somewhat lacking in recent productions.

Joe McElderry was always my favourite Joseph, and now he's my favourite Pharaoh! He brings sass to the character as he struts around the stage, demanding attention. His vocals are flawless and have such power. He is a natural born performer who shines on the stage.

Taking on the iconic titular role was Adam Filipe who was incredible. He had a beautiful singing voice and he is a real master at acting through song. His rendition of Close Every Door was a real breathtaking performance and was a standout moment for me.

It was the creative decisions which ruined this production for me personally. Christina Bianco was cooky and charming as the Narrator, but having the same actor play multiple roles alongside this, including Jacob and Potipher's Wife, was a real misfire. What this did was to strip the piece of any humanity. The father/son relationship just wasn't there at all. It seems as if the production was more intent in chasing cheap laughs rather than injecting emotion, which made it feel more panto than big budget musical which was a real shame.

Children have always been an integral part of any production of JOSEPH, but here they seemed to be used differently than I have seen before which really didn't work for me. Having children playing some of the brothers may have been okay if they weren't wearing over the top fake beards, but them leading the Benjamin Calypso removed the soul of the song. Also having them play roles such as Potipher was honestly a little creepy.

To be clear, this is not a slight against kids on the stage. In fact, I have seen productions where there have been a lot more children than there were here, I just felt that this production used them in the wrong way.

I felt like I didn't care about any of the characters in the production and was completely disengaged from the story. Having seen so many versions of JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT in the past, this one felt cheap and amateurish.

Songs seemed to be inexplicably extended to include random dance breaks which although were performed well, just seemed unnecessary. The set design was good and served the production well but I would have like more spectacle in the lighting design.

If this is your first time seeing a production of JOSEPH then you will probably enjoy it. The songs are timeless and are performed well and with such a big ensemble there is always lots going on. For me though it lacks the heart that it should have.

If you're interested in seeing the current production of JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT then head to the show's website here to check dates and book tickets.

Neill Kovacic-Clarke

All views are my own and I pride myself on being honest, fair and free from influence. Theatre is subjective and it is important to remember that all views expressed are just those of one reviewer.

I purchased my ticket for this show via the TRP website, paying £32 for my seat - Stalls M13

CAST LIST:

Adam Filipe as Joseph; Christina Bianco as Narrator; Joe McElderry as Pharaoh; Hugh Cotton as Reuben; Imogen Bowtell as Reuben's Wife; Will Haswell as Simeon; Daniel Bowskill as Levi; Ellie Greenway as Levi's Wife; Davide Fienauri as Napthali; Jessica Sutton as Naphtali's Wife; Joseph Brownlie-Johnson as Issachar; Charley Warburton as Issachar's Wife; Joseph Craig as Asher; Kiera Haynes as Asher's Wife; Harvey Shulver as Dan; Taylor Bridges as Dan's Wife; Alex Woodward as Guard; Ben Lancaster as Guard; Bella Baldock as Tailor / Cook; Aaron Archer as Swing; Oliver Hawes as Swing; Nicole Lupino as Swing; Bradley Perret as Swing; Jenna Warne as Swing

Plus a cast of children as multiple characters

RUNNING TIME (approx):

2 hours, including interval