CityLife

Joseph

Craig Chalmers

Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Palace Theatre
October 20, 2009

WITH its catchy tunes, technicolor sets and cheeky Craig Chalmers, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is a colourful family night out.

Despite suffering from a throat infection, Craig, who came fifth in BBC’s Any Dream Will Do series to find a Joseph for the West End stage, charmed the audience.

The Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice show tells the biblical story of Joseph and his journey from favoured son to slave to right-hand man of the Elvis-styled Pharaoh, played by Stephen Webb.

Bill Kenwright’s touring production is well suited to an audience made up mostly of families.

Throat infection

Silly props including cut-out cows and woolly sheep amused the children and while Craig is not the greatest singer or actor to have graced the stage, he brings a certain charisma to the role. And he has the likeability factor.

Due to his throat infection some of the bigger notes in Close Every Door and Any Dream Will Do sounded strained, and by the end of the second act, his energy levels appeared to have dropped. Tara Bethan, of BBC’s I’d Do Anything, was a delightful narrator, her voice at its best during solos.

Craig revealed this week that he was determined to get a good review from the M.E.N after earlier less-than-enthusiatic appraisals.

Although critics might not have been his biggest fans the audience certainly loved him – giving him a standing ovation.

You’ve charmed Manchester, Craig . . . now rest your voice.

Until Sunday.