Go, Go, Go Joseph...and thanks for the show

Following on from the success of last year's Jesus Christ Superstar The Methodist Church in Minehead once again became the venue last week for another Tim Rice, Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, this time their first, and much loved, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Directed and produced by Lynne Wooldridge, with musical direction by Simon Evans-White and starring a cast of talented local actors, singers and musicians it was pure family entertainment at its very best.

Based on the biblical story of Joseph the musical follows the son of Jacob who, having been given a coat of many colours by his father, is sold into slavery by his jealous brothers and finds himself working for Potiphar. When Potiphar's wife (played seductively by Rachel Evans-White in a funny and well executed scene) takes a liking to her husband's new servant, Joseph is flung into the dungeons and only saved when Pharaoh calls on him to interpret his dreams. Joseph eventually becomes Pharoah's right hand man. However, as Joseph prospers his brothers at home fall prey to the famine that is destroying their livelihood and it is not long before they come knocking at the door, praying for mercy. Joseph first plays a trick on them but then, seeing their selflessness and penitence when their younger brother Benjamin is falsely accused of stealing, Joseph reveals himself, is re-united with their father, and at the happy end to the story he dons once again his coloured coat.

The part of Joseph was played with confidence and ease by Paul Yates, and it was a part that really suited him. He had the appropriate stage presence, boyish good looks, pop star voice and endearing charm that really made the audience warm to him, and his rendition of Close Every Door to Me was captivating. Also stars of the performance were the three narrators Lynda Heley-Flatley, Kirsty Allen and Sallyann King. They were on the stage throughout and they were the anchor of the show, each taking on challenging vocal parts as they moved seamlessly through their difficult musical score. They were a pleasure to listen to and to watch.

The actors who portrayed the brothers gave wonderful performances too, as each brought the individual characters of the men to life. They were energetic and talented and their comic timing and harmonies kept the pace rolling. The story is told in the form of a series of songs pastiching popular musical styles and the brothers' rendition, led by Peter Smith, of the French flavoured Those Canaan Days was one of the highlights of the show.

All these were complemented by a solid supporting cast including Clive Wooldridge as Jacob, Chris Rendell as Reuben and Nigel McBrayne as Pharoah, whose character is performed as a tongue in cheek Elvis parody with plenty of hip sway and swagger; the audience loved it!

Special mention must be made too of the choir of children who sang beautifully and sat patiently throughout the performance. Their place there ensured that this production kept faithful to the show's roots as a school production and it really enhanced our enjoyment. Well done!

There were so many people in the cast that it is impossible to name them all, but they all made a special contribution and Lynne Wooldridge must be congratulated for her talent and vision in ensuring that all this worked in such a limited, albeit uplifting, space. The stage layout itself was simple but colourful and made more effective by the clever use of lights and the artistic talents of Janet Daley, not to mention the sumptuous costumes , co-ordinated by Kath Griffiths, and the fun that was had from the comic cavalcade of props!

This production was great fun, the entire cast combined with a chorus of talented youngsters and an orchestra led by musical director Simon Evans-White made it an entertaining evening out. Well done to everyone involved; you gave a lot of pleasure to a lot of people .