When Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat arrives at His Majesty’s this week, it really is direct from the West End for two of the stars.
Both Linzi Hateley, as the narrator, and Jac Yarrow, as Joseph, won praise from critics and fans when Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic musical had a summer-long return to the London Palladium last year.
Now Linzi – a “Joseph legend” as the original narrator opposite Jason Donovan 30 years ago – and rising star Jac, who was winning show-stopping ovations in the West End, promise fans a glittering treat at HMT.
“I think you can expect the exact same production that was on at the Palladium in the summer, it really hasn’t changed that much,” said Jac, who was nominated for an Olivier for the role.
Joseph is a lavish and beautiful production for His Majesty’s
“The feedback we’ve been getting from people at the stage door is they can’t believe this is a weekly, touring show, because it is very lavish, the sets are huge, the costumes are beautiful.
“And, obviously, you’d got myself and the lovely Linzi from the London production, and a brilliant cast. People are definitely in for a treat.”
Linzi said: “It’s a very different take on the show. Obviously, it’s been updated, but it’s also brought out so much humour. It’s very silly and comedic. What’s wonderful is that the children are very involved in it. In the old days, the kids were almost a choir, but they are playing parts now.”
For Jac, playing Joseph isn’t so much a case of Any Dream Will Do as seeing his boyhood dream come true by taking to the stage in Joseph, landing the role straight out of stage school.
“I’ve wanted to be a musical theatre performer since I was five or six and this is beyond anything I could ever have imagined for myself,” he said.
“It was quite intense to be thrown in at the deep end, but I think in my first six months out of school, I learned more than I could have done in probably about 10 years.”
Jason Donovan told Jac Yarrow to be his own Joseph in iconic musical
Even better was that he played opposite Jason Donovan – as Pharaoh – in both the West End and on large parts of the current UK tour, although not the Aberdeen dates.
Jac admits he did find it a bit intimidating singing Close Every Door and Any Dream Will Do in front of Jason in an early rehearsal.
“But Jason was the first person to give me a hug and say ‘you don’t have to be my Joseph or copy what I did’. He’s been the most supportive person in the company.”
The Jason connection doesn’t end there, with Linzi reprising the role of the narrator – a part she originated alongside the Australian performer back in 1991.
That was the revival which took Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s show – first performed as a full musical in 1974 – to stratospheric levels, pushing songs such as Any Dream Will Do and Close Every Door soaring up the charts.
Linzi said the cast were taken by surprise at just how much of a phenomenon it became more than 30 years ago.
“We had a six-month contract and when they announced Jason Donovan there were a lot of question marks over that,” she said.
“But I remember our first preview and by the end of the show, the audience erupted in a way I had never seen. I still get shivers now, it was the most extraordinary response. That was the moment we thought ‘oh, we’re in something quite big here’ and it just went from strength to strength.”
Bit of a boogie with Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
And Linzi is delighted to be back on stage playing the narrator, three decades on from that initial jaw-dropping debut, which earned her an Olivier nomination.
“I never dreamt 30 years ago I would be back doing the show and it’s very emotional for me. It’s lovely because it is such a very different production, so even though I’m retracing certain parts of it, it still feels very fresh and different.”
Both Linzi and Jac have their own favourite moments in Joseph, which runs at His Majesty’s from Tuesday June 29 to Saturday July 2.
“I really liked doing Close Every Door because I feel it’s the one point in the show where it’s a bit calm and it’s just me and the kids,” said Jac.
“But the complete opposite of that is Go Go Go Joseph, because it’s the entire company Linzi comes back on and we have a bit of boogie.”
Linzi said: “It’s so comedic, so I’m enjoying the character side of things. There’s a lot of physical stuff – I’m playing spoons and tap dancing and all sorts, so I’m reliving my youth and having a ball.”
How to get tickets for Joseph at His Majesty’s Theatre
And they are looking forward to sharing those with Joseph fans, old and new, at His Majesty’s this week.
“The second you hear those tunes and see all the colour and optimism, it just lifts the soul,” said Linzi.
Jac added: “Someone said to me at the stage door the other day that it’s like musical comfort food. It’s the show you can keep going back to and you know you will come out feeling like you’ve had the best time.”
For information and tickets for Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, visit aberdeenperforminarts.com
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