For the Oxford-based amateur musical youth theatre company DIY, February half term was a dream come true. The DIY’s adaptation of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph starred a youthful cast at the Amey Theatre in Abingdon last weekend. The cast ranged in age from five to seventeen years old, and performed alongside a live band of musicians from local schools and universities.
The story is based on a biblical tale of betrayal, family rivalry and envy, transformed into a spectacle of colours by this superb young cast. Joseph (played by Ellie Brown, a very talented young lady, with great voice control who carried the whole show with great aplomb) is the favourite son of Jacob. As such, he encounters the jealousy of his brothers who object to his dreams, in which he is the hero and the brothers have to pay homage to him. They arrange to stage having him killed, and, to 'prove' his death, show their father his multicoloured coat, smeared with blood. This was perhaps the most amusing part of the first act; as the eleven brothers pretend to be desperately sad for the loss of Joseph in front of their father, but are actually delighted to have got rid of him. All the young performers stayed totally in character, switching from grief to joy whilst singing and dancing to a very entertaining ‘One More Angel in Heaven’.
The first act ended strongly after ‘Go Go Go Joseph’. There was a clear energy and passion from the whole cast, including the very young ones, that was relentless and lasted through the longer second act.
Many stage adaptations of classical stories have used ‘creative license’ and Joseph is no different. During the second act a Pharaoh/ Elvis Presley look-alike, beautifully performed by a very eye-catching Edie Gray, appeared with a couple of songs - a clear tribute to the rock-and-roll legend. If you are unfamiliar with the musical, you may have been slightly bemused by where this sits in the story of Joseph. Likewise, the scene set in France is mildly confusing yet totally charming. The whole cast contributed to presenting a show that had a superb feelgood factor throughout, without ever descending into shabbiness.
The audience showed their enjoyment of the classic numbers such as 'Any Dream Will Do', 'Those Canaan Days' and 'Close Every Door', by participating, clapping and cheering throughout
Another highlight was the narrator part, cleverly divided between three singers Annalisa McClimont, Jesame Davidson and Mel Houldershaw. Poly Smart, the Director, and Livi Van Warmelo, the Musical Director, designed these parts in order to create beautiful harmonies that elegantly guided the audience through the story, to great effect. Van Warmelo, an Oxford University student, very professionally directed the wonderful band that was tightly squeezed into the ‘pit’ at the front of the stage.
The show was aptly directed by one of DIY ‘pillars’ Poly Smart, with help from Assistant Director Rocci Wilkison. The pair made a great team and used the obvious natural chemistry of this young cast to great effect. The stage design, lighting and sound effects greatly enhanced this production. For that we have to thank Ryan Phipps and Danny Owen who produced such a professional set up.
Costumes must also be mentioned and in true DIY style these were made by some of the performers’ parents: Rachel Brown and Lisbeth Tickell. Joseph’s technicolour coat, once unfurled during the last song, drew gasps of wonder and joy from the audience.
The name of the DIY group (Do It Yourself) represents the spirit of collaboration and support that inspires this amateur youth theatre group. The actors and most of the musicians are young middle school students - some much younger in this production- high school students and university students from Oxford and its surroundings. Many of them have already been involved with prominent productions with DIY both locally and abroad. West Side Story, the Leonard Bernstein musical, was shown in Oxford in 2015, and also in Bonn in 2017, Grenoble in 2018, and Padua in 2019 (the German, French and Italian cities are all twinned with Oxford). The DIY company is made up of around seventy people, including actors, musicians and production crew, accompanied by family members who support the cast and musicians.
DIY has come a long way over the years and with Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat they prove that they are true professionals in the field of youth theatre production. Their summer production is something to look forward to.