AMATEUR THEATRE REVIEW - Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - The Art Theatre, New Mills, Derbyshire.

 

There is always a very warm welcome at this theatre, and one feels very much at home. The Victorian splendour always a lovely surprise. This evening I was there to watch their own amateur society's production of the ever-popular musical, Joseph.

This was a show full of colour and spectacle. The now "traditional" idea of the show in terms of costuming and the utilising of a children's chorus were evidenced throughout, and it was clear the society had put a great deal of effort and energy into this show to make it both as visually striking and successful as it was.

A single composite set was used throughout, which gave a grand entranceway between sets of steps and a platform above, sand coloured it worked well for both Canaan and Egypt, except that, perhaps the pseudo heiroglyphics should have been present only when in Egypt?  

A large and more than competent band played live in the pit under the secure direction of Claire Sweeney. The cumulative harmonic sound of the 11 brothers, especially in "Those Canaan Days" was truly lovely. Simple but effective choreography from Cathryn Yates helped her with her proficient and clear directing. On a personal note, I would have liked to have seen the children featured a little more, especially during the choreographies.

Taking his cue from Jason Donovan and the likes, Joseph Paul Rafferty enjoyed his stage time a s the titular Joseph. Emily Hobson was a most personable Narrator, and (almost) stealing the show with his Elvis Presley rendition was Joe McGuire as Pharaoh. Gary Ward (Reuben), Leon Shufflebotham (Simeon), and Stewart Bowden (Judah) led the male choruses of brothers with skill, creating a lovely ensemble. But in a show such as this, it is always the youngsters who take our focus and attention; again, their cumulative singing and ensemble work was excellent.

The technical aspects too were nicely produced this evening. The lighting was creative and effective, costumes apt and dazzling, and the sound was mostly very good... there were just a few occasions where the chorus singing overpoiwered the soloists, but that can easily be rectified for further performances.

A truly high spirited, fun, and enjoyable show which runs at the Art Theatre until Saturday. 

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall

on - 22.11.23