'Joseph' review

Malvern Festival Theatre

JOSEPH AND HIS AMAZING TECHNICOLOUR DREAMCOAT
(Bill Kenwright Ltd)

After an absence last year, Malvern Festival Theatre is again rocking to the ever-popular tunes of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s classic Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. This foot-tapping show still pulls in the crowds and it’s not surprising. Great songs, fantastic vocals, an amazing band, striking sets, a wealth of incredible costumes and stunning lighting make for a wonderful evenings entertainment. This is one of Lloyd Webber’s oldest shows and arguably his best. For those who have seen it before, there have been some lovely little alterations made to keep it fresh, including a brand new song.

Keith Jack, who came second in Any Dream Will Do, returns in the title role giving a truly wonderful characterisation. Lauren Ingram is a gentle Narrator and delivered this immense role with calm and sincerity. Luke Jasztal articulates Pharaoh’s ‘Elvis’ number perfectly, a feat not previously achieved by his predecessors. Henry Metcalfe also gives his best performance to date as Jacob.

The large male cast hardly get time to breathe as they play a host of characters in this Old Testament tale and give their all in an exhausting display of talent, none more so than Richard J Hunt as Judah/Baker. Marcus Ayton excites with his impressive vocals and Simon Ouldred shines for the brief time he is on. The three female dancers, despite some unbelievably fast costume changes, bring lovely elegance to the performance from the beginning right through to the end of the Joseph Megamix and several Reprises.

If you are fortunate enough to have tickets to this sold out production, you’re in for a magical, musical time. Joseph runs until Saturday but please check Malvern Theatre for the times of performances as they vary throughout the week.

'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Review

Malvern Festival Theatre

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM (Custom/Practice & TEG Productions)

The Winter’s Tale would seem the appropriate Shakespearean play to attend this week, while in the grip of another wintery blast. Yet, do not these dark nights, icy winds and snow-filled skies leave us dreaming of summer? Perhaps A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Malvern Festival Theatre is perfect timing.

Custom/Practice Theatre Company enjoyed acclaim at the Edinburgh Fringe last year with this interpretation of Shakespeare’s original and most famous ‘Rom-Com’, an enchanting fairytale of the magical mayhem that ensues when lovers flee royal decrees, passions are unrequited and the fairy kingdom is at war.

A vibrant cast of eight cleverly portray the large collection of characters against Rosa Maggiora’s simplistic set design, which was the ideal platform for the actors to display their many talents. Liam Mansfield is commanding as Oberon, Rebecca Meyer is beautiful as Titania. Clare McMahon is feisty in the role of Hermia, while her lover Daniel Francis-Swaby is charming as Lysander. Rebecca Loudon is wonderfully tragic as the love sick, Helena and Naoufal Ousellam is dashing as Demetrius. Shane Frater’s Puck was understated, whereas the opposite is true of Lorenzo Martelli’s superbly obnoxious Bottom!

Director, Rae McKen’s vision worked perfectly with the target audience, engaging them from beginning to end and filling the auditorium with raucous laughter throughout the players enactment of Pyramus and Thisbe, the staging of which earned the characters their title of the ‘Crude’ Mechanicals. The components from the rest of the creative team worked together superbly to capture the magic within the live performance, particularly Ed Lewis’ music and sound design.

The energised eloquence of this production makes Shakespeare incredibly accessible and fun. This is definitely one to go and see. A Midsummer Night’s Dream runs until Saturday.