THE FUTURE of theatre in Surrey is bright if the current production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is anything to go by.
Last night, the cast of Youth East Surrey Operatic Society's (Yesos) latest show took their debut bow and their spectacular performance merited every bit of the standing ovation it received.
Joseph works perfectly for younger actors and the youngsters on the stage – who range in age from 8 to 18 – seem to relish every moment.
To see our gallery of pictures from the show click here
At no point do any of the more than 50-strong cast look lost and, considering the ages of the performers, is it striking that the older actors are never obviously looking after their young co-stars.
Indeed the professionalism throughout is impressive, even more so when you consider the show has been put together with just two weeks of intensive rehearsals.
Joseph is a fantastic ensemble show, but it is one which will always fall without strong actors in the leading roles of Joseph and the narrator.
In this regard, Yesos have no concerns. From the moment he emerges on stage for his first rendition of Any Dream Will Do, Hugh Blayney as Joseph does not put a foot wrong.
The role and songs will be familiar to many of the audience and Hugh carries it all with a calm, charismatic confidence. You may struggle to believe he only turns 16 today (Friday).
For this production, the role of the narrator has been split in three and Annabelle Van Dort, Benita Murphy and Emily Atkinson whisk the plot along marvellously. They are brilliantly used, appearing alone or in pairs at times and stepping seamlessly in and out of the story.
The musical team, led by musical director Martin Sargeson, deserve a round of applause as well for the way their part has been divided in three to complement their different voices.
The beauty of Joseph is there is a huge range of wonderful supporting characters and it would be impossible to do credit to the raft of brilliant individual and group performances on show.
Keir Gilbert-Halladey does deserve a special mention as Reuben – a part which does not always get the credit it deserves. He is a confident and able eldest brother, leading his, fairly young, on-stage siblings through some of the show's tricky numbers.
Behind any successful show is a good production team and Martin Sargeson, director Fiona Byrne, choreographer Alys Dreux and assistant director Philippa Kennedy have done a wonderful job. This is not a new team, some of them have collaborated on Yesos' previous shows, and as the young cast members have grown and excelled in their roles it is clear the grown-ups have become an equally well-oiled machine.
Their ability and success are reflected in the confidence their young charges exude on stage.
Above all else, this production of Joseph is a spectacle; always moving, brightly coloured and fun to watch.
The whole show is encapsulated in a moment of the final number where Joseph spins in his coat of many colours, while the cast walk around him in concentric circles waving brightly coloured strips of materiel. It is simple, effective and an image which will stay in your head as long as the incredibly catchy songs.
On this evidence, the future of theatre is not just bright, it is Technicolor.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is on at Redhill's Harlequin Theatre until Saturday. Call 01737 276500 for tickets.
