Joseph and his Technicolour Sellout

As mentioned in my last post, I went to see Joseph last Wednesday at the Adelphi. In the first of what I hope to be a number of reviews over the course of this blog, a shortish review of the performance.

How good is it? Well it depends on two key factors: firstly, did you ever go and see the original stage version in London with Jason Donovan or Philip Schofield (or have you seen a recording of it); and secondly, do you like Mamma Mia? If the the answer to the first question is yes, then you may well not like him of the TV (Lee) and his merry troop do the new version. If the answer to the second question is yes, then you definitely will enjoy the show.

I'd be tempted to say that Andrew Lloyd Webber sold out to the Big Brother generation. That would be a little unkind and a little cruel. I'll be honest to say I never watched How do you Solve a problem like Maria? (I said, don't have the damn show); and I watched very little of the Joseph-like follow up that the BBC made too. I didn't quite know what to expect, so going along last week with my younger cousins (all big fans) and my parents (also big fans), I was there with some trepidation.

The show is put together very well - sets, stage and costume are excellent. The songs are well sung, the acting is well acted. But it wasn't the whole thing that anyone who saw old Joseph would have expected. Lloyd Webber has (from mine/my parents memory) introduced a number of new songs, and given a couple of them new settings - the song involving Joseph's clan being set in France was a particular low point, as was having the king of Egypt being a long dead pop/rock'n'roll star. Some songs were exceptionally well done - Lee Mead's rendition of Close Every Door at the end of the show was fantastic. What followed - the Joseph Megamix - was an abomination and thoroughly un-needed. Very ABBA/Mamma Mia like in design, it added very little and was more for the kids than anything else.

Marks out of 10? Well, being generous 7, maybe a little more.
Recommend it to people? Yes - with the above caveat.
Worth seeing? For the hype, Yes.