Finally, after only around 30 years, I got to see Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat today.
Let’s start by saying that the Derngate Theatre in Northampton has no air conditioning, that or they are saving quids by not turning it on and today has been the hottest day of the year. At 22:00 it was 26°C so that gives some idea of just how hot.
There was actually a heat haze in the theatre.
We did have really good seats though. Not the expensive good seats but seats way back but with an excellent over all view of the performance.
My memory of ‘Joseph’ was from studying it at school when I was around 12 I guess, I may have been younger. My music teach, Mrs Gibbons, was fascinated with the show, enthralled to the point of obsession. It was good though the way she relayed it else I’d not have wanted to see this show quite so much, thank you Mrs Gibbons.
The show was amazing. It is so fast paced it was difficult to find time to breath. One great number led into another flowing wonderfully. The first half was over quicker than I could have imagined, indeed, the whole show ended too quickly. So incredible was this show that it received a standing ovation and audience members were dancing to the rhythms. The acting was superb as was the choreography. There was a slight failing on one track from the ‘Pharaoh’ but it was a particularly difficult song to sing so, considering the heat and the complexity, he did remarkably well. If I’d change anything (ALW take note) it would be the narrator. I feel a better placed person would be much older. Sadly, the girl playing it seemed to be fresh from Kids TV presenting on something such as ‘Play School’ and it was a little off putting, all the more so that she seemed like a blast from the 70’s when the rest of the show has clearly seen some updates over the years.
These are minor complaints though in an otherwise excellent performance.