Arts > Theatre
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat
29/10/14
As a very young child my favourite cassette tape was the soundtrack to Jo Jo Jo Joseph, much to the joy of my enthusiastic parents. They would love listening to it on repeat for days on end as much as I. A game developed where they would playfully hide the tape around the house, usually in hard to reach places like the dustbin. Much to their relief, I always found it! Last night, nostalgia swept over me like a great cascading wave, washing away the intervening years to leave me sat as a sticky faced, short trousered, youth merrily singing along through wads of masticated pic ‘n’ mix. My trousers may have finally reached my ankles, but, sat in the auditorium, half chewed dolly mixture still flew into the row in front as I sang along to the opening number. That is, until reality shattered the mental idyll of my picturesque childhood. Where were those Canaan days now? Now that I realised Joseph was wearing…UGG BOOTS! Those quilted booties lined with fake fur and evil! Screw you Lloyd Daniels! And screw you too Andrew Lloyd Webber you oversized troll doll for soiling my childhood. Hot anger flooded over me as I began to side with Joseph’s murderous brothers. ‘KILL HIM!’I screamed from the circle, foam gathering at my mouth. ‘BURN HIM…AND HIS STUPID UGG BOOTS!’ I continued. ‘YOUR SAFETY CURTAIN WON’T SAVE YOU NOW!’
After being calmly escorted from the auditorium by six stewards, none of whom wrestled me to the ground, I spent a few minutes composing myself. By the time I re-entered, the offending footwear had been removed and I began to enjoy the play.
The show was everything that I remembered, the confusing but appealing mix of musical styles and silly jokes obviously aimed at a younger audience, which is brilliant. Accessibility to the theatre for all age groups and demographics is wonderful and to see many for whom this may be their first visit is a thrill. I certainly hope this won’t be their last trip and judging by the rapt looks on their stupid little faces I think not. The show may not stand up to intense scrutiny but taken on face value great fun can be had. My only real reservation is the Pharaoh portrayed as 1970’s Elvis. I went on holiday to Egypt many years ago and images of Senusret II always reminded me of Roy Orbison. The show and its song styles may dance along the line of cultural appropriation but it is always done with love and affection. I am confident in the knowledge it is at least less racist than ‘Exodus: Gods and Kings’, I’m looking at you Ridley Scott.
The Joseph story is an interesting one to adapt for kids, containing as it does attempted fratricide and the murder of an innocent goat (at least I assume it was innocent, it may have been involved in credit card fraud or something. Although I’m not sure how you input a pin number with hooves?) Interesting parts are sanitised though, Jacob’s many wives being tactfully referred to as handmaidens in the programme. I know what they are. You know what they are. Let’s not play around, you dirty old bugger. My visual cup was also overflowing with glistening pectorals and abdominals, so chiselled as to make the cardboard stonework set look fake. Still, all this combined to create a camp and colourful spectacle. Grab a young relative or the nearest unattended child and go and see the show.