There is a veritable pantheon of past Josephs, all the way from teeny-bopper pop stars like Jason Donovan, Donnie Osmond, Gareth Gates and Steve Gately, through to TV presenters like Philip Scholfield and square-jawed classic leading men like talent-show winner Lee Mead.

I don’t know whether Keith Jack (of BBC1’s Any Dream Will Do fame) has the stage presence to ever be a truly memorable Joseph, but he has developed the pecks for it, and the kids loved him. Perhaps due to his small stature, in Tommy Steele style, he chose to give an innocent abroad portrayal of the part, rather than the muscularly noble take on it given by Mead or Osmond. Jack sang right through every line of the part, which meant that what may have been missed in the acting department, was more than made up by the vocals, with a particularly lovely and moving rendition of Close Every Door To Me. The star of the show was the cute-as-a-button, Mary Poppins-like Narrator played by Trina Hill. She is surely one to watch, full of natural charm and grace.

While you do not expect much stage wizardry in any touring production, we were treated to not only comedy blow-up sheep materializing from the stage floor but also a very funny speaking camel. All this turned the stage into a picture book of constant excitement for the spellbound children packing the auditorium.

The choreography was punchy and energetic, driving the production along like a steam train. Much credit must go to the choreographer and very authentic Jacob, Henry Metcalfe. Jacob’s sons were performed by a very committed bunch of actors, who worked more seamlessly than a crack commando unit – and with far camper results. The stage set was so good it had my five year old hiding under the seat during Joseph’s hauntingly lit prison scene. Nice touches of stage business abounded from when Joseph bounced around from the start, high-fiving his brothers to when a sexy Mrs Potifar (also played by Trina Hill) kinkily high-kicked her stilettos towards anyone passing within a metre of her. While this production lacked some of the pizzazz of the West End versions, it was a highly entertaining one that was clearly loved by those who saw it. As people left the theatre last night, they seemed filled with the sunny joy that suffused the production, humming tunes from the show despite the driving rain.

Review by Catherine Marcus.

Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Grand Opera House, York, until Sunday. Box office: 0844 847 2322 or grandoperahouseyork.org.uk

Further performances: tomorrow, 1.30pm and 7.30pm; Friday, 5pm and 8pm; Saturday, 2pm, 5pm and 8pm; Sunday, 1pm and 4pm.