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The Argus Online

Theatre Royal, Brighton

by Mike Howard

Colourful, loud and fast: Joseph is a real feelgood show Whether you are seeing Josephfor the first time or the umpteenth, you know you are going to have a great time.

This Andrew Lloyd Webber show, with lyrics by Tim Rice, has been going for almost 40 years and I doubt whether there is ever an evening where a performance is not taking place somewhere in the world.

It was the first of the duo's musicals and began life as a 20-minute play for schools. It takes as its subject the Old Testament story of Jacob and his sons.

Joseph is his favourite and is accordingly hated by his brothers, who rob him of his coat and sell him to the Egyptian Pharaoh whereupon he rises, thanks to his ability to interpret dreams, to high rank.

From Joseph came Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita, and Lloyd Webber and Rice became the best-known music theatre duo of the last part of the 20th Century.

And you can thank the late David Land, once owner of the Theatre Royal, Brighton, who picked up the golden couple, paid their wages and encouraged their follow-up successes.

But back to Joseph. This is a show for everyone and it is very fast.

While I prefer the more sophisticated Evita, this is a real feelgood show. The story romps along with one cheery tune after another.

It is highly colourful, loud and fast, the choreography is excellent and its age does not show at all. This is a show that will have your toes tapping from the very beginning.

It is funny, full of imaginative flourishes with pastiches of rock 'n' roll, country music and even a French song.

All this week, Darren Day takes the title role and it suits him very well. On opening night he certainly thrilled his fans with his crisp and tight performance. Or was it just his flashing six-pack?

Joseph has its own eight-piece band plus a chorus of local schoolchildren, a superb Elvis interpretation from Lee Mead, a nice narraotor in Abigail Jaye and an OTT sexpot in Carolyn Sinnett as Potifar's wife.

With his eleven brothers, various handmaidens and other characters, it is a large cast and will no doubt be a sell-out all week. Make sure you get hold of a ticket - your cockles will never be any warmer than when the curtain comes down and you float home with Lloyd Webber's music ringing in your ears.