Tiverton Junior Operatic Club

1997

Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber

Jacob is blessed with twelve sons. Of these, the second youngest, and his favourite, is Joseph, son of Rachel.

Joseph is good and kind, serving his father and family well as a shepherd in the fields. His brothers resent the way in which Jacob dotes on Joseph, and their anger against him grows after their father gives his favourite son a dazzling coat of many colours. 

Joseph is a dreamer; his dreams tell him that he is to become a great man and be far more successful than any of his brothers. On hearing this, they decide that something has to be done about young Joseph.

Out in the fields, the brothers attack Joseph, strip him of his coat, and are about to throw him into a pit to face certain death, when a band of Ishmaelites pass by. The brothers sell Joseph to them as a slave and return to their father with the sad news of Joseph’s ‘death’.

In Egypt, Joseph is then sold to Potiphar, a wealthy merchant. He is rapidly promoted, and things begin to look brighter. However, Joseph catches Potiphar’s wife’s eye, and she tries to seduce him. Potiphar, who is a very jealous man, catches the two together, and immediately jumps to the wrong conclusion, and Joseph is flung into gaol.

In his cell, he explains the meanings of his fellow prisoners’ dreams.

The Pharaoh, who is disturbed by savage dreams, hears that there is a man in gaol who may be able to explain them to him. Joseph is brought before the Pharaoh, and translates the dreams. In return, he is made a very wealthy man.

His brothers fare less well. Famine and plague dominate the land of Canaan, so they leave to seek food in Egypt. They find Joseph, although none of them recognise him, and he takes pity on them, giving each a sack of food. However, to test his brothers, he plants a gold cup in the sack given to the youngest.