“It’s an iconic and incredible role, and there’s no way I could have ever said no to it.”
We speak to Christina Bianco about her starring role as The Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Who is the Narrator, for people who haven’t seen it before?
In the past, I would say that the Narrator acts like a storyteller or a schoolteacher, educating the children in the Bible story of Joseph. In this production, we sort of turn that on its head a bit – the way it was done in the Palladium production starring Sheridan Smith, where I’m a bit more of a mischievous Mary Poppins. [Laughs]
The director, Laurence Connor, says that she’s sort of like the babysitter the parents should not have left their kids with, making it a little more playful and modern. Even though it’s still the classic production everybody knows, it’s got something a little special to appeal to a younger generation.
I’m telling the story but I’m also inviting the children – who are not just singing oohs and aahs in a choir in this production – to play characters within it. Together, we bring the story to life for the audience.
What appealed to you about the show?
I have been a great fan of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat since I was a child. It was one of the first musicals that my parents played around the house and I’ve listened to all the versions I could get my hands on. I was especially partial to the 1991 revivals in the UK and the US, in which Linzi Hateley and Kelli Rabke played the Narrator, and I now know both of them. It’s the craziest thing to idolise these two women, to befriend them, and to now actually step into their shoes as Narrator. It’s an iconic and incredible role, and there’s no way I could have ever said no to it.
You’re famous for your impersonations. Are you doing any of them in the show?
This one is just me as me, although I do sort of sprinkle in a little bit of an Edith Piaf impression into Those Canaan Days. That’s pretty much how the song is written, so I didn’t have to twist any arms to make it happen. The last time I did a production of Joseph in 2018, in Chicago, I did a lot of impressions as the Narrator, which was cool, but it’s nice to be doing this one a different way.
I’ve been very lucky to have a balanced career, in which I get to be Christina Bianco as Christina Bianco and Christina the concert artist who does lots of impressions, comedy, sketches and all that. [Laughs] I love doing impressions, but I do love being myself more.
What do you think makes Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat such a classic?
You don’t have to be familiar with every Bible story to appreciate Joseph. There’s something very playful about the show. It was originally written by a very young Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice as a musical for children, and I think that the joy of the show and that innocence is what appeals to so many people because grandparents, parents, and their kids are coming together and all getting something a little bit different out of the same material. I think they wrote it with such wide-eyed innocence and nothing but joy, and the energy of the show is relentless. It has moments that pull at your heartstrings, but at its core, it doesn’t take itself very seriously. That’s a very rare balance in musical theatre. You get comedy, you get a little bit of tragedy, you get some incredible dance numbers, you get incredible singing; you do get everything within one show.
What’s your favourite song in the show to perform?
Well, I’ve got two. I think anybody familiar with the score of Joseph knows how contagious Jacob and Sons is. When I was little, I remember being in the back seat of the car, belting out the lyrics and holding that final note as long and loud as I could. The song comes very early in the show and every night it’s a bit of a pinch-me moment for me, that I get to be The Narrator for Sir Andrew and Sir Tim. My other favourite is Pharaoh Story, which comes at the start of Act 2 and is a bit of a diva moment for The Narrator. It’s a nice moment that I share on stage with the kids, and I love it.
What do you most enjoy about touring the country?
I have such a love of all the market towns and ask all of the staff at the theatres – the people that work the stage door and front of house – where their favourite places to eat are, their favourite sights, their favourite views. That way I get to see all of these cities and towns as the locals appreciate them, not just what the guidebooks say or what the internet says. On my concert tours, when I’ve toured a few of these cities before I’m in and out in a day, but now I get a week or two to enjoy them. Any recommendations, bring them on!
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
13 – 18 May 2025 | Mayflower Theatre
Starring the legendary Jason Donovan as the roof-raising Pharaoh, the smash-hit London Palladium production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat returns to Mayflower Theatre this May!
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