Adam Filipe is by no means a Filope, in this scaled-back touring production of Joseph, where the child cast are promoted to key character roles such as Potiphar, the brothers and The Baker. ★★★★☆

Star Power ★★★★☆

An incredibly enjoyable show, and markedly improved staging since the last UK tour. Such a musical theatre juggernaut does not necessarily need a star to pull the punters in – nonetheless, Joe McElderry, winner of the X-Factor is our big name, to expand the reach of the show among less familiar audiences. The production is cast well, and Adam Filipe plays an extremely likeable Joseph, supported by a strong ensemble of brothers. If the occasional characters such as ‘Jacob’, ‘Potiphar’, ‘The Butler/Baker’ and some of the minor brothers were not relegated to being played by the narrator or a child in a beard, then this would have been an all-round stellar quality production. It was nice to see a different take on the staging, but we were lacking the child choir to enhance some of the solemn moments, such as in ‘Close Every Door to Me’ – somebody please usher them on with a candle each and showcase their voices in angelic chorus…

Musicality ★★★★☆

Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s score coupled with Tim Rice’s lyrics are universally adored. It was pleasing to see the conductor dancing along emphatically to the mega mix, for the umpteenth time of conducting this production. He would add Egyptian flourishes with his arms to punctuate the Ishmaelite melodies — and if I hadn’t been recording (the narrator happily encourages this just before the bows), I’d be half-inclined to join him. What stops Rice and Webber’s work reaching the 5 stars this time is the lacking performance in places. Was this the definitive version of Joseph? No. It naturally works better when Jacob’s lines are sung, in fact, by Jacob. No female narrator in a beard is going to fool me. And of course it is endearing to see the child cast upgraded to the adult roles – but I am not sure that the ‘Benjamin Calypso’ packs the same punch being led by a child, instead of the Afro-Caribbean Judah of productions past.

Value ★★★☆☆

Coming in at £85 a ticket for the best seats, this is definitely at the top end of pricing for regional theatre, and a considerable amount for what ostensibly began as a show for children, and has a cast comprised of many child actors. Unless you are a devout Joe McElderry fan (and I know lot of you are – hello 200k+ views on TikTok for my ‘Song of the King’ clip…) then you may feel lacking in spectacle for the ticket money. The magnitude of bodies on stage during ‘Jacob and Sons’ for example, is diluted somewhat by a handful of the brothers being played by mute, tiny children in great black bushy beards.