Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Milton Keynes Theatre Review

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Milton Keynes Theatre

28 June to 2 July 2016

www.atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes

Reviewed by Louise Platt

X Factor winner Joe McElderry and Britain’s Got Talent’s Lucy Kay had the starring roles in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat last night at Milton Keynes Theatre.

I saw this show in London many years ago so I had high expectations for the 2016 version which is currently on tour in the UK. Let’s just start by saying that I was not disappointed.

All the familiar, fantastic music is there thanks to the incredibly talented Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. Hit after hit – most of us know them all and if you don’t you are still guaranteed to be tapping your toes throughout.

The story is a famous one. Joseph, favoured son among 12 brothers is sold off as a slave by his siblings who are getting sick of his father’s obvious favouritism and equally sick of Joseph’s high self-regard following a sequence of dreams he has had in which his brothers all bow down to him as the “chosen one”. Joseph is carted off to Egypt and gets into trouble with his master’s wife who gets him thrown into jail. He is then chosen by Pharaoh to interpret some dreams which he does so well that Pharaoh chooses him to be his number 2 and Joseph rises to riches and power with the brothers bowing down to him at the end of the show just as he foresaw in his dreams.

There are quite a few comedy moments in this performance including some inflatable sheep which didn’t quite cooperate all the time much to our amusement.

The stage and lighting are both really eye catching and as multi-coloured as the show’s title. The choreography is also impressive and the show is very fast paced with songs throughout which flow from one to the next effortlessly with actually very little dialogue at all.

The children’s chorus with a range of different aged children is a lovely addition and they are on the stage throughout the performance at times on centre stage and otherwise at the sidelines. They all did exceptionally well. Special mention also to the narrator Lucy Kay who had the most amazing voice and really shone from start to finish. Joe McElderry gave a stunning performance and really held his own during his solo numbers and wowed us in other ways with some very “interesting” costumes especially at the end in his golden trousers and cropped top. In fact the costumes are worth mentioning overall as I thought they were really great and lots of fun.

The show’s finale is spectacular – especially when Joseph is reunited with his colourful coat and it fans out across the stage around him. A lot of the audience were on their feet and I liked that the Brother’s appeared in the aisles of the theatre at the end to get everyone clapping and cheering.

This show is full on and fun and perfect for all the family. Highly entertaining and I loved it.

The theatre was packed out and I imagine it will be every night as this is a very popular show and the kind of show you could watch time and time again and not get bored.

As always a trip to MK theatre is a joy. It is such a lovely venue, clean, comfortable and modern with a lovely bar for a pre theatre drink and the essential kiosks and of course fabulous ice cream at interval time. The only thing I would say is the queues at the Ladies can be incredibly long but that can apply pretty much anywhere you go in life!!

A great night out, a great show. What more can I say? Highly recommended.

Rating: 5/5 

Tickets cost from £14.90 to £44.90 (plus £2.85 transaction fee).

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is at Milton Keynes Theatre until 2 July 2016. For more information or to book tickets click here or call the box office on 0844 8717652.

Milton Keynes Theatre, 500 Marlborough Gate, Milton Keynes, Bucks, MK9 3NZ