Review of Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Looking Glass Theatre, Northampton

A few months ago I got myself embroiled in a little verbal fracas (no cold meat involved) on Twitter with those that I now call my Irish friends. It concerned their production of Jesus Christ Superstar (details here) and in my opinion being slightly below par. They got quite uppity about my criticism and even suggested the likes of me could effect its success. The tour continues merrily despite me and its actually at Milton Keynes Theatre next week. I suggest you save your money. Oops naughty me.

However this convoluted intro brings me to the glorious stage school production of Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor [sic] Dreamcoat at Looking Glass Theatre. In the absence of knowing whether this is a musical or a rock opera (sorry another in joke), I shall just call it an "absolute joy" instead.

What this lacked in production values and budget over JCS it made up in on in earnest joy, enthusiasm and a sheer thrill of performance over making money. I mentioned to local theatre legend Weekes Baptiste during the interval that I had enjoyed Joseph immensely more than the big budget version of JVS simply because it was fun. Sure a proper critic could never say as much because they are looking at the nuts and bolts, the performance, the bells and whistles of a show. I am, trying not to look too deeply or be too philosophical, looking for the soul, the joy of performing on the faces of the performers. However, we all know that you would rarely see a proper critic at this kind of show anyway, unless their child is performing. Their loss. However I realise I have got a little too serious in this review, so lets get to proper business.

This was my first experience of Joseph apart from knowing of the famous Any Dream Will Do, I knew next to nothing. Through the performance we are led in the the story by six gloriously cool young ladies, all leather jacketed and shades. All six, Esha Mehta, Brianna Souter-Smith, Susie Clark, Frankie Warren-Waller, Olivia Hepher and Anna King-Ferguson bring confident performances and all are unique in their styles. Joshua Mobbs is also fantastic as the "Elvis" Pharaoh complete with green flashing glasses. Quite brilliant, well as are they all. Everyone brings all they have got to their performance and with twenty-nine stars on stage, they all pull together and work with each other like no other I have seen on the Looking Glass stage.

Mr James, Miss Leigh and Miss Karin have indeed created a complete package with the show which gloriously uses the whole of the theatre space. Having the ensemble singing right at your shoulder in the aisles is a shivering and magical moment. The cast move with ease around the seating and onto and off of the stage, The choreographed pieces also are a delight with the first reveal of the dreamcoat with a constantly revolving ensemble a brilliant and perfectly performed piece.

Finally I have to deal with Master Rory Traynor as Joseph. A star in every way and acting well beyond his nine year old status. Dealing with a great bulk of the show is no mean feat, but Rory holds it on his shoulders with apparent ease. His Close Every Door in particular is simply incredible. I think, or I sincerely hope, that we shall see him gracing a stage again in the future. A star is indeed born.

So a glorious fun evening played out to a packed audience and as the final epic show on the current Looking Glass stage, a totally fitting way to end. The Looking Glass is dead, long live the Looking Glass!

Performance reviewed: Saturday 4th July, 2015 at the Looking Glass Theatre, Northampton.

Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was on at the Looking Glass Theatre between 1st July and 5th July, 2015. If you missed it, a recording of the show will be available from Looking Glass Theatre soon.

Looking Glass Theatre also has a website at http://www.lookingglasstheatre.co.uk/

Kevin And The Non-Technicolour Raffle Tickets (and non-winning).

Review of The Rocky Horror Show at Milton Keynes Theatre

Richard O’Brien’s anarchic, surreal, and often incomprehensible musical, The Rocky Horror Show , has captivated audiences for over fifty years now. With this new tour, it feels as fresh and unpredictable as if it had just emerged from O’Brien's vivid imagination yesterday. While another review might seem unnecessary given the countless dressed-up fans who fill every theatre it visits, let’s go ahead and write one anyway. The Rocky Horror Show follows the adventures of Brad and Janet, a newly engaged couple. On a dark and stormy November evening, they run into car trouble and seek refuge at a mysterious castle reminiscent of Frankenstein’s. There, they encounter the eccentric handyman Riff-Raff, the outrageous scientist Dr. Frank N. Furter, and a host of other bizarre characters. What unfolds is a science fiction B-movie narrative that is at times coherent and at other times bewildering — yet somehow, that doesn’t seem to matter. I first saw The Rocky Horror Show in 2019 and exper...

Review of The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband at The Playhouse Theatre, Northampton

During the interval of The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband , last weeks production at The Playhouse Theatre Northampton, I got involved in a conversation between a couple sitting next to me. The lady was very much of the opinion that the play was a comedy, while the gentleman, had formed one that it was a tragedy. They were joking of course in the conversation, but it did highlight the differences that Debbie Isitt's dark comedy might have between the sexes. And also now perhaps the passing of time. When this was written in the nineties, Isitt's play was a forthright feminist play, heralding the championing over of the ladies over the man. One the ex-wife plotting to cook him, the other, the new lover, potentially already very tired of him after just three years. The husband, Kenneth (Jem Clack) elopes initially in pursuit of sex with Laura (Diane Wyman), after his nineteen years of marriage with Hilary (Corinna Leeder) has become tired and passionless. Then later, he elopes ...

Review of Dial M For Mayhem! at Royal & Derngate (Royal), Northampton

Middle Ground Theatre has been creating unique and intrepid adventures for the stage since the late eighties, and with Dial M For Mayhem! , they take those experiences and bring to the stage a brand new play within a play now arriving for a week run at Royal & Derngate. Written by Margaret May Hobbs and directed by Michael Lunney, Dial M For Mayhem! has much to admire. Still, sadly, for every good joke, amusing set piece and chaotic moment, there are too many periods of flatness, stilted sequences and, especially during the first act, too many slow scenes which either tread the same old ground or bring nothing new to the proceedings and then fail to flow into the next leaving it often disjointed. The cast does their very best, though, and the characters they bring to the stage are entertaining and perfect for this farcical play, but they lack depth despite the script trying desperately at times to give them one. The attempt to create character also comes at the expense of the farc...

A Small Mind At The Theatre

Search This Blog