Dream casting: Who will play Joseph at the London Palladium this summer?
Posted on 15 March 2019
Over recent weeks cast announcements for the reimagined production of the Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat have caused quite the stir. Whilst we have all been waiting to see who will play the title role in the iconic musical this summer at the London Palladium, we were delighted to find out that Sheridan Smith will star as the Narrator and Jason Donovan will star as the Pharaoh. However, as exciting as these cast revelations were, we still wait in anticipation to find out who will be donning the amazing technicolor dreamcoat.
In the meanwhile, not that we’re waiting with bated breath (we totally are) for the Joseph cast announcement, we decided to take a look at the possibilities and dream a little too. The West End alone has so many options, stars glitter the London streets, but the casting pool could be so much bigger than that. Take a look at five actors that we think could or might take on the role of Joseph.
Olly Murs – Maybe the excitement of such a huge role waiting to be announced has gone to everyone’s heads but rumours have been whizzing around the theatre scene that pop star Olly Murs, from X Factor fame, will be taking on the title role in this summer’s production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Pop singers have historically been chosen when casting the role of Joseph and Murs would join the greats who have worn the coat in the past. He has proven himself in his singing abilities with his successful music career; having sold over 13 million records, including four number 1 singles and two number one albums. Murs has quite a reputation as a “cheeky chappy” and is considered quite the charmer, so if he was to be chosen it would certainly be popular with his vast fanbase (7.4million Twitter followers!). If you’re wondering if the X Factor runner up can act, then maybe his recently announced acting debut in a new Disney animated series 101 Dalmatian Street will tell the tale. He has said following this role that he has aspirations to venture into acting. Maybe musical theatre could be the next step for Murs. Until then, we know already that he has a great voice, knows how to handle big stages and is very likeable as a television presenter, so maybe a very good contender.
Luke Bayer – Luke is making quite the name for himself in the West End and is probably most well known for his recent stint in the wonderful Everybody’s Talking About Jamie where he was an alternate for the role of Jamie New. You may also recognise him from the 20th-anniversary concert of Les Misérables or maybe even from appearing at the Royal Albert Hall with Elaine Page. Luke trained in Musical Theatre at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and graduated in 2015 and has been performing in stage productions across West Yorkshire since he was a child. However, Bayer really began to prove himself with the lead role of Jamie for which he won a Broadway World Award. In September last year, he held his first solo concert which was a complete hit, packing the place out, and establishing his fanbase. This star is only just at the beginning of his journey to stardom, his outstanding voice setting him apart, and would be brilliant in the lead role of Joseph.
Carrie Hope Fletcher – Now Carrie is someone who is frankly just a bit of a creative show off. She’s not just a brilliant actress but an author, singer, songwriter and YouTuber, and on top of that, she’s successful in all of these fields. Fletcher began her musical theatre career as a child and made her West End debut in 2001 as Young Eponine in Les Misérables at the age of just nine. She has been in numerous productions since and even returned to Les Misérables to play the role of Eponine in 2013. Fletcher will again be returning to Les Misérables for a staged concert adaptation and will this time be playing the role of Fantine. Her commitment to this role, however, means that she would unable to be the first leading West End actress in the role of Joseph, as the runs crossover, otherwise she’d be an obvious choice. Perhaps for a future production! We won’t give up dreaming just yet.
Christopher Cameron – If you haven’t heard of this absolute ray of star-shine then it’s only a matter of time. You’re most likely to recognise Cameron from his most recent role as the understudy Jagwire/ensemble member in Bat Out of Hell (Dominion Theatre). The Scottish musical theatre actor’s credits also include A Christmas Carol (Lyceum Theatre) and The Best of Musical Starnights. The West End and theatre world, in general, is teeming with talent but there’s undeniably a smaller circle within that scene of stars. These are your leading men and women but also include those up and coming, and Cameron is definitely one of these people. His singing voice is rich and raw, powerful and refined and a true testament to just how talented he is. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is a widely loved musical with some of the biggest theatre numbers of all time and Christopher Cameron would be a credit to this already iconic musical.
Jordan Fox – Fox graduated with a BA (Hons) in Theatre and Performance from Bretton Hall School of Acting and has an impressive list of theatre credits. He, until recently, appeared at Above the Stag in [title of show] but is probably most well-known for his appearances in the much-loved Kinky Boots which finished its run at the Adelphi Theatre earlier this year. He first appeared in Kinky Boots as part of the swing but then later returned to take on the role of Harry and cover Charlie. Fox is a talented actor and it won’t be long before he becomes a sought-after leading man. ‘Any Dream Will Do’ is widely known and loved and Fox would give it a whole new lease of life, his vocals living up to the legendary number it already is.
The casting choices are endless when it comes to a huge production, especially one as popular as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which spans from pop stars to West End leading men, and even West End leading women. There are so many possibilities, and these are our current favourites. Some are a mere dream and others more probable but until the official announcement, any dream will (and can) do. Who are you hoping will don the coat of dreams?
By Jade Ali
A love for theatre stemmed from my love of literature and music, but the West End on my doorstep opened up a whole new appreciation and passion for all things stage-y