Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, at the Ipswich Regent until Saturday. IT'S delighted audiences around the country since 1968, and now musical fans in the Ipswich area have a real treat on their back doorstep.

By Paul Geater

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, at the Ipswich Regent until Saturday.

IT'S delighted audiences around the country since 1968, and now musical fans in the Ipswich area have a real treat on their back doorstep.

It isn't often that a genuine West End hit comes to East Anglia's largest theatre - and the full house last night really appreciated the great show.

The songs are all very familiar, but this production gives them a new glitzy touch.

And the whole show moves along at a cracking pace throughout.

Graham Tudor is a fine Joseph in true Jason Donovan/Philip Schofield mode.

He brings his own interpretation to standard songs like Any Dream Will Do and Close Every Door - but there's enough of the familiar to allow the audience to sing along during the curtain calls at the end.

One thing that everyone knows about Joseph is Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice combined a number of different musical styles in the work.

And this production really makes the most of these styles - which transforms us from the American plains to a Las Vegas casino with an Elvis-impersonating Pharaoh, to the streets of Paris and a Caribbean calypso isle.

Trevor Jary makes the most of his role as Elvis, sorry the King of Egypt, to bring the house down at the start of the second half.

And the rest of the cast double-up and really give the feel that this is a big production.

The Regent has been increasingly successful in attracting big names recently, but this is the first professional West End musical it has brought in for several years.

And it was certainly appreciated.

The theatre was full last night, and the 1,700 in the audience enjoyed themselves enormously.

There are seats available for matinees later this week - but as word gets around from last night's happy audience, it wouldn't be a great surprise if they sell out by the time the curtain rises.

Paul Geater.