Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat @ Regent Theatre

The dress code for opening night of this newly reimagined production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s award-winning musical – Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, direct from London’s West End – is “technicolor glamour”, which makes for fantastic pre-show people watching. 

Australian Idol alumni Paulini opens proceedings – playing a governess of sorts, corralling the children’s cast for story time (Any Dream Will Do) – and sets an impossibly high bar with her impeccable vocal performance. When she takes on other incidental roles during the show, Paulini utilises a fake beard or cloak – also singing in different voices/accents – to differentiate from her main role as The Narrator. She has a decent crack at the chorey throughout as well (although obviously the trained ensemble dancers show her up on occasion). 

Joann M Hunter’s complex, lively choreography incorporates dance steps from all eras – the Charleston, tapping during one number and even the can-can (this musical is set in Canaan, a region in the Ancient Near East during the late 2nd millennium BC, which when ‘mistaken’ for can-can by the characters on stage prompts an entire themed number – geddit?). And Hunter’s chorey sure ain’t pious, either! At times, raunchy moves are hilariously incongruous with the biblical costuming, which is LOL-worthy.

Set and Costume Designer Morgan Large makes some inspired choices: those camels built from bicycle bases are genius. 

In the role of Joseph, previously played by Indecent Obsession’s David Dixon and Jason Donovan, Euan Fistrovic Doidge shines as brightly as his blinged-out coat of many colours. We collectively scrape our jaws off the floor following his spine-tingling performance of Close Every Door To Me – what a superstar! As Reuben, one of Joseph’s evil bros, Alex Hyne’s country-twang rendition of One More Angel In Heaven is focus-pulling – with enviable stage presence, he’s definitely one to watch. 

Rice and Lloyd Webber’s multi-award-winning songbook serves some moments that slap harder than we would’ve thought were possible in musical theatre – Jacob And Sons is a deadset banger! And what a treat it is to experience live orchestral accompaniment. 

Many of Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’s musical numbers are deliberately derivative – the Elvis-aping Pharoah number (Song Of The King), which channels (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear and Don’t Be Cruel; Calypso (Benjamin Calypso); Those Canaan Days, sung in exaggerated French accent – which gives them an instantly familiar feel even if you’ve never heard them before. As Simeon, Daniel Raso’s rendition of Those Canaan Days is career-defining with the audience applause, whoops and hollers literally stopping the show. And the wow-factor of Raso’s sustained notes? Bravo, sir!

As for Shane Crawford as The Pharoah – ugh, we swear we can actually see the cogs in this ex-AFL footy legend’s brain spinning as he counts in his head and tries to execute his basic chorey. Although this role has been stunt-cast in the past and many members of the crowd seem to appreciate Crawford up there wearing guyliner and his skimpy Egyptian costume, weighing up his performance against this stunning professional ensemble – children’s cast included – was never gonna be pretty. (If you know this will shit you, perhaps book post-27 December tickets ‘cause this is when seasoned musical theatre star Trevor Ashley takes over Crawford’s role.)

For the finale, the audience is invited to be upstanding and dance along with The Joseph Megamix, and all relish the opportunity to do so – Go, Go, Go Joseph, you good thing! Filming is also permitted during this section, much to the delight of many in attendance. 

Good, wholesome, daggy fun for the whole family. Our cheeks still hurt from smiling and laughing.

Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat plays at the Regent Theatre until 15 January, before moving to Sydney’s Capitol Theatre from 11 February.