Joseph with his coat of many colours was in fact the first austerity prophet.
When Pharaoh dreamt that seven miserably skinny cows had wolfed down seven “fatfleshed and well favoured” cows but not ended up with a body mass index symptomatic of obesity Joseph knew the answer. When Pharaoh dreamt of seven thin and blasted ears of grain swallowing seven plump, good ones, Joseph did the numbers. His corn and cattle calculations indicated that previous estimates of economic output were seriously flawed. Future generations of Egyptians would suffer if the government shirked its fiscal responsibilities. Joseph’s policy proposal was to act now so they didn’t pay later.
Much like today’s high priests of austerity Joseph wasn’t likeable or popular, not even with the people closest to him. One contemporary source says he was “very vain, daubed his eyes with kohl, dressed his locks like a woman, walked mincingly, and wore a long-sleeved tunic which Jacob had given him.” (From Robert Graves and Raphael Patai, The Hebrew Myths;The Book of Genesis, 1963.) It isn’t hard to sympathise with those who wanted to shut him up and get rid so he could spend more time with the Angels. And again, in common with our current beacons of moral rectitude, Joseph was dogged by scandal. He ended up doing time for gross sexual offences. His stretch inside was made comfortable by connections higher up and when released he was handed a plum job in the government. Nothing new under the sun.
The plot of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is lifted directly from the Bible, even the risque tale of Potiphar’s wife; “it’s all there in chapter 39” sings the narrator, “of Gen-e-sis”, which is absolutely true. This story is also in the Qur’an where, if anything, it is even more lewd and has the women of an entire city lusting after Joseph and self-harming when they can’t get their wicked way with him (Surah 12.31 if you want to check.) The only bit missing from the musical is that when Pharaoh made Joseph the boss of Egypt he gave him a new title: “And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnathpaaneah” (Genesis 41.45) I expect Tim Rice had too much trouble making that moniker scan.
Of course not everyone goes to a musical at The Grand for cutting edge political comment or theological instruction. A few people go simply to have a good time and a bit of a sing-a-long, and if you know anyone of that ilk I’d certainly recommend this production. They won’t be disappointed. I took my sister the other evening and she just texted to say she’s still humming the tunes at work (apologies to her colleagues… I grew up listening to her singing, I know what you must be going through.)
But seriously the production is great fun, the cast were all brilliant, the kids in the chorus were marvellous, and if you don’t laugh out loud at “One More Angel in Heaven” I shall refer you to a specialist.
“Do you want another song?”
Hell, yes!
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is on at The Grand Theatre Leeds till Saturday.