Review: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (The New Theatre, Oxford)

It’s been 5 years since I last saw Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and this was my 5th time seeing this show on a stage (I’ve also seen the filmed version a number of times).

This production had some noticeable changes from previous versions I have seen, with the children no longer sitting at the sides providing vocals and little else. This worked incredibly well and the children blended so well with the adults. It was particularly impressive to see some of them belting out solo parts of songs as well.

I was excited to see Adam Filipe performing again (my previous experience of seeing him being in August 2022 when he somehow jumped into a lead role in Whistle Down The Wind at The Watermill Theatre with 24 hours’ notice and no previous knowledge of the show).  He has an absolutely fantastic voice, perfect for Joseph.  His stage presence in this role was spot on and his performance was flawless.

Christina Bianco as Narrator incredible. The Joseph/Narrator chemistry played to perfection and the minor characters she also portrayed meant she was on stage for almost all of the show, and was very entertaining.

We had Alex Woodward in the role of Pharaoh and he was everything you want in a Pharaoh; amazing vocals, perfect character portrayal and looked the part as well. I’d recommend trying to catch him as Pharaoh if he has any future dates in the role on this tour.

The ensemble was incredible, the dancing a joy to watch as was the whole show. The show is high energy and upbeat and you come out absolutely buzzing after watching the energy from these performers.

If I have one very minor criticism it would be the use of a smartphone in the show, I can see the production is designed to appeal to a new audience but this somehow felt an unnecessary addition – although this is a very minor point and did not detract from our enjoyment at all.

I think this new production was my equal favourite production with when I saw Jason Donovan as Joseph in 1991 which is saying a lot. This is definitely a show for all ages to enjoy and I highly recommend catching this current tour.

 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

• Accessibility: The New Theatre Oxford has very good access facilities, it has a disabled toilet in the foyer, and is accommodating to groups of people with disabilities and their carers if needed. If you have a Nimbus access card, register with ATG for companion tickets which makes the booking process for all of their theatres very simple.