The theatre colossus that is Andrew Lloyd Webber committed a giggle-worthy gaff earlier this year, when accepting a WhatsOnStage award for his recent revival of Starlight Express in the West End.

“We’re bringing in new, young people to see a show and… okay, it’s not necessarily the greatest musical you’ll ever see.”

The room – not to mention swathes of TikTok – took it in good humour and relished in the Lord (not that one) offering up a splash of self-deprecation toward one of his earlier offerings.

It’s the kind of deadpan that could be levied at Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. The debut collaboration between Lloyd Webber and Sir Tim Rice is a simple but pleasant thing. It has graced more school, amateur and professional stages than quite possibly any other musical that springs to mind and as such is peppy, family-friendly fun with catchy tunes that you’ll likely be humming long after the curtain falls.

But as a simplistic, sung-through piece it’s… well, not necessarily the greatest musical you’ll ever see.

Enter: Michael Harrison, Laurence Connor and team.

Stretching, pulling, rethreading and revitalising every nook, cranny and beat of Joseph, imbibing it with spectacle and a flurry of big-budget, song-and-dance embellishments, they serve up what is perhaps the biggest surprise of the theatre season so far.

Bursting with invention and joy, this is a rousing, technicolor marvel of a revival that truly sings.

“…a rousing, technicolor marvel of a revival that truly sings.”

For those who have somehow avoided the Joseph engine to date, its follows its titular character as he goes on his biblical adventure through slavery, imprisonment and beyond. Given its roots, Lloyd Webber and Rice’s book is refreshingly scarce on religiosity, with nary a mention of the big man upstairs. Instead, it is a decidedly child-friendly ode to fortitude, perseverance and decency.

‘Given the fact that any substance here is paper thin (at best), Connor, along with set designer Morgan Large and choreographer Joanne M. Hunter decide to go full throttle on the spectacle. Particular credit to MD John Rigby and the dance arrangements from Sam Davis, too. A cynic may call it padding, but the full-throated way in which the creatives here take the likes of ‘One More Angel in Heaven’ and explode into a full honkey-tonk hoedown of almost Rodgers and Hammerstein proportions is nothing short of genius. ‘Those Canaan Days‘ becoming ‘Can Can days? Inspired. This feels like Joseph the musical as it always ought to have been.

Given the abundance of different genres that Joseph’s score riffs through – jazz, country, rock, calypso to name but a few – the decision to have lots of freewheeling, expansive fun here pays off in abundance. Formerly pleasant toe-tappers turn into full scale song and dance show-stoppers, and Connor has a deft eye for injecting character throughout, to boot.

Of course, it helps to be working with such a strong company. Not least of all a selection of very winning child performers who have been integrated into the show far beyond the usual token pop-ups, which is a joy to watch. Even key roles such as Potiphar and the good-nature Benjamin are portrayed by some of the talented kids on stage.

In a similar vein, the irrepressible bundle of joy that is Christina Bianco takes her cheeky, fourth wall-breaking narrator and dips it in and out with bit parts such as Joseph’s father and Potiphar’s villainous, seductive wife. Bianco injects the role with a ton of energy and charm to spare, and her innate comedic skills are put to great use throughout. And if it that weren’t enough natural comedic talent to appreciate, the triumphant return of Birmingham Hippodrome favourite Matt Slack proves an utterly scene-stealing strike of casting gold.

“Hippodrome favourite Matt Slack proves an utterly scene-stealing strike of casting gold.”

By dint of his role as Pharaoh, Slack isn’t afforded a tremendous of stage time, but he mines it for every laugh, strut and cheeky reference to his panto staples as he can. It’s a gift of an extended cameo, and a surefire reason why audiences should check out the tour in Birmingham.

But arguably this production’s greatest ace is in it’s leading man; rising musical theatre star Adam Filipe. Recently impressing with knockout vocals in Titanic the Musical and Sideshow in Concert last April, Filipe steps into big sandals – not to mention a certain sizeable coat – and more than rises to the occasion, serving up an absolute dream of a Joseph. Injecting the admittedly rather one-dimensional lead with a likability, exuberance and even athleticism throughout, Filipe is tremendous. And yes, he absolutely raises the roof with a blistering rendition of ‘Close Every Door’.

To say this is a production that exceeds expectations would be an understatement. It may well be amongst the most inventive, characterful and exciting examples of injecting a whole new scale and life into an old favourite to date. It is a glittering, joyful manifesto of how to stage a revival with vision and purpose, and if it is a case of dazzling with style over substance, then colour me dazzled, then slap on some more.

Lloyd Webber best get practising the next iteration of that speech…

Fresh off of an impressive haul at last weekend’s Olivier Awards for Jamie Lloyd’s audacious restaging of Sunset Boulevard, it seems the high-concept spin on Lloyd-Webber is very much en vogue at the minute.

And yet, before Lloyd, Scherzinger and co redefined Norma Desmond and pals for contemporary theatregoing crowds, Timothy Sheader already had a critically acclaimed (and similarly Olivier-nabbing) crack of the lash with one of the Lord’s (no, not that one) earliest outings. Sheader and choreographer Drew McOnie’s 2016 resurrection of Jesus Christ Superstar was a fresh, stripped-back affair that struck a chord at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre (not to mention mercifully banishing any memory of the ghastly, gaudy 2012 arena tour). Now, its acclaimed post-COVID second coming is on tour across the UK and beyond.

First, the foibles. Whilst Jesus Christ Superstar boasts what arguably remains one of Lloyd-Webber and OG lyricist Tim Rice’s finest scores, its earliness can still be felt in places; particularly in how it handles structure and narrative. Sure, it has fairly ubiquitous source material, but as per the likes of Joseph and to a lesser extent Evita, Jesus Christ has an awful lot to say and do, and is in quite the hurry to do it. And unlike those two outings, who each boast a singular, guiding musical narrator a la Evita’s ‘Che’ or Joseph’s, well, ‘Narrator’, Jesus goes without, leading to a first Act in particular that may prove quite the flurry or whirlwind for some modern or younger audiences.

Still, those familiar with the piece and its story (it is, after, a somewhat well-known tale…) will likely make up the bulk of audiences flocking to see it, which means the real measure of merit lies in how polished and executed a revisit this production proves to be.

It’s here where the praise comes thick and fast. Conceived as something akin to a rock concert by way of heavy industrial framing, this is a slick, moody and visceral reimagining. Tom Scutt’s metallic, minimalist staging cranks up around its one real focal point – an oversized catwalk-cum-crucifix that is used to great effect to pinpoint focus throughout. Lee Curran’s stark, invasive lighting, meanwhile, perhaps steals the whole thing, whether stabbing out into the auditorium during Jesus’ (Ian McIntosh) searing pleas to the Almighty during ‘Gethsemane’, or starkly backlighting an ominous throng of High Priests who march out on stage brandishing microphone staves.

“…a slick, moody and visceral reimagining…”

Dare it even be said that the roots of some of Jamie Lloyd’s conspicuous Sunset can seem to be seen and felt in places here, too. See the arms of Shem Omari James’ Judas dipped and dripping in liquid silver as he seals his betrayal of Jesus – a stain the character carries for the remainder of the show. Or the nondescript period of Scutt’s costumes – mostly devoid of colour, save for the suitably glitzy vaudeville camp of Timo Tatzber’s flamboyant Herod. Jolting, kinetic ensemble numbers, and McOnie’s pulsing, jolting choreography regularly tip some of its set pieces into the territory of feeling more like performance art or postmodernism.

It’s a production that is regularly distinctive and confident in its bare, raw individuality.

With its breakneck pace and little by way of handholding, a staggeringly strong company do great work in keeping the emotional resonance of the piece clear from the off. As touched upon, the first Act in particular pivots and shifts all over the place, and with so much storytelling and scene-setting going on on stage at once, there are occasions when it all threatens to become a little obtuse or impenetrable. Thankfully, there are killer vocals and authentic performances at every turn, and within roles that blitz through a kaleidoscope of human emotion in the blink of an eye, enormous credit must go to its leads for just keeping everything comprehensible and engaging.

Ian McIntosh is a stellar Jesus, raising the roof vocally, and grounding in particular what are quite brutally realised scenes of torture and crucifixion. Shem Omari James is in equally fine voice as a tormented, raging Judas, whilst understudy Louise Francis did a moving, soulful job in the performance reviewed as Mary. The love and support on stage from her company was palpable during a moving curtain call. Luke Street, meanwhile, delivered arguably the vocals of the night with a blisteringly effortless Simon, though Jad Habchi and Matt Bateman certainly give him a run for his money as riffing, belting rock demons of high priests.

“Ian McIntosh is a stellar Jesus, raising the roof vocally, and grounding in particular what are quite brutally realised scenes of torture and crucifixion.”

With talent to spare on stage, this is one of Lloyd-Webber’s earliest and still most beloved offerings staged in audacious, individual style. It is a slick, bold and striking spectacle, and boasts a plethora of incredible musical theatre moments. Visceral, emotive and raw, if some of Jesus Christ Superstar’s age may be showing in terms of its breathless, erratic handling of character and narrative, then compared to the story that inspired it, it’s still practically a baby.

For fans and those familiar, this is a top-drawer, definitive outing for Jesus and pals. For everyone else, it is still a dazzling, masterfully-performed rock concert of musical delights, albeit one that may have you reaching for the cliffs notes in the interval.

Or, you know, the Good Book.