Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
★★★★☆ Splendid
Portobello Town Hall: Wed 25 – Sat 27 Aug 2025
Review by Rebecca Mahar
Stage Door Entertainment light up Portobello Town Hall with a bright and joyous production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, featuring an enormous local cast and stellar leading performances.
A classic from the oeuvres of Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice, Joseph follows its biblical titular character through his trials and tribulations. And this 50-strong company fill the stage with colour and the auditorium with a glorious noise in the telling of it.
Ewan Robertson and the cast of Stage Door Entertainment’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Pic: Malik Tajamul.
The twelfth and favourite son of Jacob (Jon Lauder), Joseph is gifted a magnificent many-coloured coat by his father. This, combined with Joseph’s mysterious dreams which he claims mean he is destined to rule over his brothers, is enough to push their jealousy too far.
The brothers sell Joseph as a slave, telling their father he was killed accidentally. Meanwhile, Joseph is transported to Egypt, where he is sold again, thrown in jail, and eventually catches the attention of Pharaoh (Connor Byrn) – who, it happens, is in need of someone to interpret his dreams.
It’s a bit of a chaotic musical to begin with, mashing up musical styles and spending long periods of time doing very little before speed-running sections of plot, which creates any number of challenges for a company performing it. For the most part this production, directed and choreographed by Lisa Goldie and Aidan O’Brien, rises to the occasion, with only a few places where the story feels a bit muddled in its transitions.
sparkling vocals
Shepherding the story along is the Narrator (Monique Crisell), who introduces Joseph and his story to a group of children (the Orange Cast, on the day of Æ’s visit). The Narrator both tells the story to the children —and audience— and fills in the narrative gaps between what is seen on stage and what is skipped over. This is also a notoriously demanding part, and Crisell rises to the occasion with sparkling vocals and strong presence.
Ewan Robertson shines as Joseph, bringing a charming naivete to his pre-outcast portrayal, full of glee at receiving the marvellous coat and oblivious to the depth of the brothers’ jealousy. This innocence is beautifully shattered when Joseph is thrown in jail and sinks into despair. Robertson’s rendition of the iconic Close Every Door is a soaring triumph, from its rich low notes in Joseph’s despair, to its full and effortless upper extension in his hope.
A scene from Stage Door Entertainment’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Pic: Malik Tajamul.
The only downside to either Crisell or Robertson’s performances is one of audio mixing: both suffer at times from being overshadowed by the full (and amplified) live orchestra, despite clearly singing with excellent volume and diction. The orchestra, under the musical direction of Tommie Travers, is excellent, but has been made a bit too much the star of the show.
A scores-strong ensemble fills the stage at every opportunity, a testament to Stage Door’s mission to bring theatrical opportunity to their community and the young people that inhabit it. While the sheer number of people involved has led to a little crowding of the stage at times, the ensemble, young, old, and in-between, are bursting with enthusiasm. Each individual contributes to the full, well-rounded choral sound of the company, filling Porty Town Hall with the evidence of their hard work and talent.
quality production
With flashy and saturated lighting by Laura Hawkins bringing a Technicolor concert vibe to the proceedings, this Joseph leans heavily into the comedy, hijinks, and inevitable happy ending of the show. Stage Door have brought another quality production to Porty, and if the extended mid-show ovations and thunderous final applause are anything to judge by, the community is hungry for more.
Running time: Two hours with one interval
Portobello Town Hall, 147-149 Portobello High St. EH15 1AF
Thurs 25 – Sat 27 Sept 2025
Evening: 7.30pm; Sat mat: 2pm.
Run ended.
ENDS
