Technicolor Dreamcoat will colour Regent stage in Christchurch

Based on the biblical story of Joseph and his coat of many colours, the musical was the first Andrew Lloyd-Webber-Tim Rice collaboration to be performed publicly. Stagewise now bring the family-friendly storyline, universal themes and catchy music to the Regent stage in Christchurch.

Stagewise, which is based at Lighthouse Poole ran a social media campaign and auditions process to find the ideal Joseph, with the role eventually being handed to 14-year-old Joe Weaver from Wimborne.

Students have spent the last few months working hard with Stagewise’s team of industry professionals to learn the famous songs and accompanying choreography that have made Joseph a worldwide smash hit.

Stagewise principal Ally Cox said “We’re so excited to be doing Joseph for this year’s big Stagewise production. It’s an enormously fun and colourful show that families will love and we have an incredibly talented cast who can’t wait to get on the stage and show everyone what they can do.”

The story is relayed in song by a narrator, who introduces the characters of Jacob and his 12 sons. Joseph’s brothers become fiercely jealous when he is given a beautiful coat of many colours – a symbol of their father’s preference for him – and the brothers are angered further when Joseph’s dreams seem to prophecise that he will one day rule over all of them. In a desperate attempt to get rid of Joseph once and for all they sell him into slavery and he is taken away to begin a new life in Egypt. A host of colourful characters are introduced to tell the story of Joseph’s subsequent rise to power, featuring songs which have become musical theatre classics, including Any Dream Will Do, Close Every Door To Me, Go Go Go Joseph and Those Canaan Days.

This is an amateur youth group production by arrangement with the Really Useful Group Ltd.