It's been more than half a century since the mega musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat was first performed back in the 1970s.
Based on the character of Joseph from the Bible's Book of Genesis, the multi award-winning show has toured in over 80 countries but how will this latest version land with the Manchester Opera House audience?
Starring X-Factor winner Joe McElderry as Pharaoh and Adam Felipe as Joseph, we journey to Egypt as Joseph, his father's favourite son and fiercely envied by his 11 brothers, is sold into slavery by those same siblings, to an Egyptian pharaoh.
Narrator Christina Bianco is chameleon like in her telling of the story, deftly switching between male and female voices and from one accent to another, neither her energy nor her impressive singing voice waning throughout.
She is undoubtedly the star of the night and adds some great comic touches too, most notably with her lascivious portrayal of the pharaoh's lustful wife, who tries, unsuccessfully, to seduce Joseph, landing him in prison when her husband finds out.
Joe McElderry's Pharaoh is another comic highlight, with an introduction that bears more than a little resemblance to accidentally walking in on your dad on the toilet, as he sits smugly atop his throne.
Replete with white Elvis cape and swooning, gold draped harem girls, he struts his stuff with a cheesy grin on his face as he belts out Andrew Lloyd Webber's iconic songs.
Suitably irritating in his big-headedness, swanning around in his multicoloured coat, Adam Felipe's Joseph is effective too and works well with McElderry's Pharaoh.
The score is as grand as is the magical scenery, including the iconic numbers Any Dream Will Do, Close Every Door, One More Angel in Heaven and Go, Go, Go Joseph.
Ranging from jazz to bluegrass to French chanson and even the can-can, no musical style seems off-limits and the production is all the better for it.
Tim Rice's lyrics are charmingly cheeky and costumes are a riot of colour and sensuous sparkle.
Dance routines are tight and clever, the young members of the cast throwing some particularly impressive moves - jumping splits anyone? There's also an ingenious scene with a big cat style rug.
There's a delightful megamix of songs at the end of the show too, culminating in a shower of colourful streamers erupting over the cheering audience's heads.
The show is a spectacle alright - there's no doubt whatsoever about that. There's no dialogue at all though, so you need to really love your musicals.
Because of the sheer grandeur of the production, it's also a little difficult to pick out the story at times. But despite these minor issues, it's indisputably a Wow! show and one you really should see at least once in your life.
