Back in the 1990s when
the Really Useful Group were touring their version of Joseph and the Amazing
Technicolor Dreamcoat around the UK,
I took my Mum a couple of times. She enjoyed herself but at the end always said “Why don’t they bring
back the proper Joseph?” This is 'Mum
speak' meaning Bill Kenwright’s legendary production, enjoying its 40th
anniversary this year. It has certainly had its critics but for the vast
majority of people, Kenwright’s production of Joseph has literally been a ‘juggernaut of joy’ as one early
newspaper review put it.
The first time Bill Kenwright's name was over the title as producer of Joseph
Bill stumbled
upon the show that had been touring for a while under the auspices of producer
John Farrow, who had run into a bit of financial trouble. Bill agreed to take over responsibility for the
show for a season at the Theatre Royal Brighton for the Christmas of 1979. A love affair was formed between Kenwright and
the Tim Rice / Andrew Lloyd Webber masterpiece.
By the Easter of 1980 Bill had made a few changes and gotten a revised
version of the show on the road, and it went on and on and on... For the next eleven years it was
uninterrupted on a path of domination around the country going from city to
city, town to town, leaving in its wake more and more fans of the show forged by the
hugely talented casts which brought the story to life. Bill inherited Jess Conrad from Farrow’s
production, and further fantastic Joseph’s came onboard: James Earl Adair, Chris Corcoran, Mike
Holoway (who played the role more than
anyone else in Bill’s production) and a number of others donned the
Dreamcoat. The list of brothers,
Narrators and Choirs involved not to mention band members would fill a large
hard drive. Each one bringing the energy
and magic to wet afternoons in Darlington or Wimbledon. It is probably true that Kenwright’s Joseph is responsible for more kids’
first taste of theatre than anything else bar pantomime. Once seen it is never forgotten and almost
always loved. The path of Joseph hasn’t always been golden. Andrew Lloyd Webber particularly didn’t
really approve of Bill’s version back in the 1980s, it is only with Tim Rice’s support that the
licence was kept so long. Famously
around 1987 Lloyd Webber visited the show in Wimbledon and hated what he
saw. He demanded immediate changes which
included the removal of the song ‘I’m Not Wanted Back At Home’ (this had been
part of a piece called Jacob’s Journey
at the Albery in the 1973 production and then hijacked into Joseph when the first act got cut). There were a multitude of other changes he
insisted on too (including the removal of the opening ‘Any Dream’) and a re-vamp of the orchestrations. Andrew was not a happy man. Sure enough by 1991 his Really Useful Group
launched their own version at the Palladium with Jason Donovan and Bill’s
licence to tour the show was revoked. The colours faded into darkness but it
slumbered. Bill was determined that one day his Joseph would return. And Bill's persistence finally paid off when in 1997 the RUG
version had exhausted its touring potential. A metaphorical crash of drums, a flash
of light and Bill’s much missed Joseph
re-appeared. It was even more colourful
having been given a revamped set and
costumes but with all the heart, energy and love with which it had become a
legend. Even one of the most popular of
the Joseph’s, Richard Swerrun, returned to helm the show. And that is the way it has stayed pretty much
uninterrupted since then. Theatres up
and down the country know a visit from Kenwright’s Joseph brings packed houses and smiling faces night after night.
Jaymi and the 2018 cast of Joseph
And thus it was with my
Mum that I find myself on a Thursday night at Crewe Lyceum Theatre to check on
the show we have been watching since our first visit in May 1983. So, now it was time in this 40th anniversary of Bill Kenwright presenting the show, to find out what sort of health the production is in.
Things get underway nicely
with an extended overture. Most of the
major melodic riffs are previewed, as we await the arrival of our lovely
Narrator. Alexandra Doar is the latest
in a long line of celebrated ladies who have told the story of Joseph. It’s her first professional job although you
would never know it. Doar exudes
confidence, and with a crystal clear clarity tells us “You are what you
feel…” She doesn’t put a foot (or note)
wrong throughout the show, and it is clearly the start of what could be a very
impressive musical theatre career.
Shortly we are in the land of Caanan, where our long time Jacob, Henry
Metcalfe, awaits. Henry is also the
choreographer of the show and was a brother when I first started my
Kenwright-athon way way back. His
original choreography has been revised by Gary Lloyd, and there are some smart
moves on the stage to keep the brothers on their toes all night. They come in all shapes and sizes. The ensemble work their socks off. Louvonne Zeus Richards delivers a lovely
Calypso but perhaps the character should be re-named Token. It would be rather nice on curtain up for me
not to spot the ethnic face and think “Oh he’s doing the Calypso tonight!” An area where BKL might improve on casting a
little. I’ll leave it at that. But they
are a solid bunch who hardly ever stop throughout the two hours. Robert Bardsley as The Butcher and Richard J Hunt
as the Baker do a fine job in the gaol scene, but it seems folly to pick out
performers as they all do a stalwart job keeping the energy levels up from the
off. A measure of a good cast is that on
the second show of the day (and there are sometimes up to three) it feels like
they are telling the story for the first time.
Not always the case in some shows I have seen. The onstage choir provided by the Stage Coach
School in Chester deliver the requisite backing with gusto, it’s nice they get to be centre stage at the
beginning of Act 2 with their own medley.
In a very male heavy show let us not forget either our three handmaidens
who work hard, never really getting much of a solo chance to shine but a solid part of
the rich onstage ensemble none the less.
With Jac Yarrow getting
all the kudos in the West End recently,
Union J singer Jaymi Hensley is carrying the mantle on tour. And he is more than a match for the excellent
Mr. Yarrow. Hensley invests the role
with no small acting prowess. When he
sings a phrase, his face tells you he is feeling it too. There have been a lot of Joseph’s who sing
the show wonderfully, but fail to invest in creating a character and putting
over the emotions. Not so La
Hensley. His voice soars in almost
operatic splendour, most effectively on
“Close Every Door”. There are a few
‘look what I can do’ vocal pyrotechnics but on the whole his performance is
first rate both vocally and dramatically.
Rather strangely, when he dons the tight gold pants as Pharaoh’s number
two he adopts a hip wiggle last seen on Barbara Windsor in Carry On Doctor. Add a bit
of potato and you could have a Cottage Pie.
But a small quibble in what is an impressive performance.
Then there is “Mr.
Pharaoh Man”. Andrew Geater gives us a
straight down the line Elvis tribute, it was after all how the role was
written. He gyrates his hips, curls his
lip and sings the hell out of the two songs.
Yes in this version the added track
“King Of My Heart” is still being delivered nightly. And although I personally have never been
fond of the song, there is no denying Geater has it nailed.
Bill Kenwright, both
producer and director, knows the right buttons to press. And Joseph’s emotional reunion with Jacob at
the end is just a few short steps behind the tear filled finale of Blood Brothers. (Although no one dies
here obviously). It is astonishing to
think that Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber were just 24 and 20 respectively
when they handed Joseph (or the core of it anyway) to the world. It says much for their genius that the show
still resonates with audiences around the world today. I have little doubt it will still be
performed long after all of us reading this have departed this earth.
Sean Cavanagh’s simple
yet effective set and Nick Richings lighting combine to conjure up Caanan and
Egypt when required. This production has
been specially designed to be able to fit into smaller theatres as well as the
larger ones, meaning there can be few towns or cities it has not played during
its touring marathon.
With rumours that Bill
won’t have the licence to tour the show for much longer, it seems a break
similar to the one in the mid-1990s is at hand, whilst the new Michael Harrison
production takes centre stage for a while.
But I have a feeling this legendary production of Joseph will not be down for long.
The entire audience standing on their feet, cheering for more, is a sight replicated at each performance, in
each town or city Bill Kenwright’s Joseph visits. Over thirty five years as a fan, and it can still
impress me, not to mention leaving my
mother spellbound. Thankfully Jaymi's
vocals have been preserved on a new CD and the history of the recorded version
of Kenwright's Joseph can be found HERE.
The current Joseph cast certainly live up to the legend, and they are an
ensemble which are going to be hard to beat going forward. It's nice to know that in the 40th
anniversary year of Bill presenting Joseph,
the show has never looked or sounded better. In the immortal words of Mr. Pharaoh, "Just-a one more time..." Please Mr. Kenwright?
In celebration of 50 years of the first recorded version of Joseph being issued, you can download an mp3 sampler album entitled Joseph And The Amazing International Dreamcoat featuring casts from all over the world (not all of them in English!) It is also in tribute to Richard Swerrun, a long running and very popular Joseph who sadly died aged just 57 in 2019. It features a bonus live recording of Richard singing "Any Dream Will Do". Download the album HERE
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