Joseph Education Pack
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Contents • The story and people behind Joseph – the musical • Synopsis • Egypt • Dreams • The Music of Joseph • Putting on a Production • Classroom Activities • Joseph Crossword • Joseph Colouring Competition The Story Behind Joseph Joseph began its life as a 15-minute production for Colet Court School, commissioned by the director of the choir and created by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. It was first performed in March 1968 and was successfully repeated in Westminster Hall, later that year. Two theatre critics were present and their favourable comments led to a recording being made and a further appearance at St Paul’s Cathedral. Joseph was now 35 minutes long and Lloyd Webber and Rice took their first step towards becoming household names. The album appeared the following year and sold 3,000 copies within a month. Lloyd Webber and Rice went on to write Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita, and Joseph had its professional debut. The Young Vic Theatre Company took it to the 1972 Edinburgh Festival. Still only 40 minutes long, it was well received, and by the time it reached the West End in 1973 it had grown a little more – which it continued to do until it became the show we know and love today. Joseph has gone from strength to strength, with the successful Kenwright touring production running for over 20 years, plus a popular West End revival in 1991 with Jason Donovan and Phillip Schofield both taking the role of Joseph, as well as Bill Kenwright’s current West End production starring Stephen Gately. Joseph continues to be popular with audiences and gains new fans with every tour. It is still a regular choice for school productions, offering a lively and enjoyable introduction to musical theatre. The People Behind Joseph TIM RICE Tim Rice has contributed to ten musicals – many in collaboration with Andrew Lloyd Webber–and five film scores including Disney’s The Lion King. He also writes books and has begun his autobiography. ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER Andrew Lloyd Webber was born in 1948 and is the composer of an amazing 11 musicals and two film scores and a setting of a Latin Requiem Mass. He has won many awards, including an Oscar for Best Original Song from the Evita movie soundtrack. In 1982 he became the first person to have three musicals running both in the West End and on Broadway. In 1996 the London production of Cats became the longest-running musical in West End theatre history. In 1997 he became Lord Lloyd-Webber of Sydmonton in the New Year Honours list. BILL KENWRIGHT Bill Kenwright is responsible for a great many well-known West End productions ranging from Pygmalion to Elvis and from TravelsWith My Aunt to Hamlet. He is most well known for Joseph and Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers – which Bill also directed. Bill is also involved in film production and devotes his energies to Everton Football Club – he is a director of the club and huge fan! Synopsis The story of Joseph is found in the Old Testament, in the Book of Genesis chapters 37 to 46. The story of Yusef al Korim (Joseph the Wise) is from the Koran. Both tell of a young man whose ability to interpret dreams enables him to achieve fame and fortune but he must contend with his brothers’ jealousy and a spell in prison along the way. 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 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 sold to Potiphar, a wealthy merchant. He is rapidly promoted and things began to look brighter. However, Joseph catches the eye of Potiphar’s wife and she tries to seduce him. Potiphar, who is a very jealous man, catches the two of them together, immediately jumps to the wrong conclusion and Joseph is flung into jail. 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 jail who may be able to explain them to him. Joseph is brought before the Pharaoh and translates the dreams, which predict seven years of plenty and seven years of famine. In return he is made a 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 recognises him, and he takes pity on them, giving them each a sack of food. However, to test his brothers he plants a gold cup in the sack given to the youngest, Benjamin. As they try to leave, Joseph stops them to investigate the ‘theft’ of the precious cup. It is discovered in Benjamin’s bag. The others take the blame and refuse to let anyone think that Benjamin is in any way dishonest. Joseph now realises that his brothers are truly honest and reveals his true identity. Jacob is brought from Canaan and the family is reunited. Egypt Most of the action of Joseph takes place in Egypt – the land of Pharaohs and Pyramids. Ancient Egypt was a civilised land and still contains some of the greatest achievements of the ancient world. It reached its height around 1400 years BC. THE WONDERS OF EGYPT INCLUDE: The Pyramids Created by thousands of workers as tombs for their great Kings. No one knows exactly how the pyramids were built but it is believed they used around 2,000,000 stone blocks for the Great Pyramid at Giza.They were built by paid workers – the first ever to go on strike – and have survived for 5,000 years. Many contained great treasures and were beautifully decorated. The Temple of Amon-Ra Amon-Ra was the Egyptians’ Chief God and the Temple at Karnak is the largest columned hall ever built. The Great Lighthouse The Egyptians were great sailors and the Port of Alexandria controlled imports of jewels and spices from the East. The Nile, however, was dangerous to navigate and so a huge lighthouse named Pharos was built. The light could be seen as far away as Crete. The Sphinx Nobody knows who built the Sphinx or what it represents. It is a lion with a woman’s head carved from rock near the pyramids at Giza. It is believed to be between 4,000 and 9,000 years old. Egypt is linked with many great names from Alexander the Great to Cleopatra and has long been a source of fascination to explorers and archaeologists alike. Dreams The interpretation of dreams has been an important part of many ancient civilisations. Sleeping and dreaming are associated with healing and an understanding of the subconscious. Analysis of dreams is still popular today, with certain images representing different emotions. Both Freud and Jung believed dreams could be a kind of wish fulfilment or a way of expressing truths we cannot express in real life. GENESIS CHAPTER 40, VERSE 8 Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.” Putting on a Production There are many people involved in putting on a professional theatre production and many stages to the process before the show is finally presented to an audience. Once the composer and lyricist have completed the musical, a producer or production company must be found to stage the show – either in the West End or on a national tour. The production company will find finance to support the musical and also find a director and designer to create the show. An early part of the process is poster and leaflet design, creating the right image to bring the show to the attention of the general public. The marketing and publicity team work hard using press coverage, advertising and direct mail letters to make sure the show has an audience.