REVIEWS: Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Lyceum Theatre
IT'S a firm family favourite – and this latest production which arrived at the Lyceum this week certainly doesn't disappoint.
The audience is transported on a magical journey all over the world, as Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's production cleverly weaves together a show based on the bible story of Jacob and his 12 sons in an energetic and exciting way.
From Israel to Egypt, via American cowboy songs (One More Angel in Heaven), Caribbean reggae (Benjamin Calypso) and gospel choirs (Go Go Go Joseph) - the production was fast-paced and extremely good fun.
Throw in a couple of TV talent show stars and you've ticked all the right boxes – particularly when you're dealing with this audience demographic.
Craig Chalmers, a finalist in the BBC's Any Dream Will Do, is impressive in the title role – his boyish good looks also bound to make him a hit with the young girls in the audience.
And Tara Bethan as the narrator – herself a finalist in the I'd Do Anything show – shines just as brightly. She is word perfect throughout the long and complex script, managing to hit all the right notes and delivers the occasional one-liners with comic effect for the benefit of the more mature viewers.
There are also some local stars of the future alongside the talented cast, as members of the Stagecoach theatre schools in Sheffield and Chesterfield form a brilliant backing choir.
Although without the bell and whistles of many more recent musicals, where stunts have included everything from real rainfall to flying characters, the bold and bright sets and costumes are all that are needed in this classic.
By the final medley there were kids, parents and grannies clapping and singing along in the aisles, where they remained for a standing ovation in recognition of a production as dazzling as his coat of many colours.
Sarah Dunn
John Willy and the
Bee People
Sheffield University Drama Studio
ACCORDING to the Sheffield University Drama Society programme notes, Alan Cullen wrote some wonderful plays for the Sheffield Playhouse in the 1960s.
Since then, his work has sunk into obscurity. So is this a timely revival of one of his children's plays from that era?
Well, it does have a certain period charm, and is unashamedly silly. Very silly indeed but on opening night at least not laugh-out-loud funny. Comic timing is a bit off, and the scripting is rather leaden in the opening scenes, in spite of some engaging song and dance routines.
It only really takes off with the entrance of the villains: Wossup (Alan Irvine), the 'orrible Ornit (Melvin Osborne) and the lugubrious Slug (John Skevington). All well worth a hiss and a boo. The trio of Fuzzbuzzes are delightfully daft and Caroline Denby-Hollis is a rather fetching Miss Webb.
Perhaps inevitably the 'goodies' are in contrast rather dull. Still, Jonathan Jones is a decent John Willy, Jen Tomkinson a wet but rather sweet Sweebee and Lynda Liddament an Imperial Queebee. Nathan Brown is really rather good as the gangling would-be hero, Humble.
Costume and set design work well and Jill Wright directs the large cast with flair.
Marion Haywood
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Friday 25 May 2012
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