Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat returns to the Australian stage, and according to its star, the timing is perfect.
When it comes to Australian musical theatre, Euan Fistrovic Doidge can count an impressive list of roles. Priscilla Queen of the Desert, A Chorus Line, Les Miserables, Legally Blonde, Grease, Kinky Boots and Cruel Intentions are some of the productions where he has established a reputation as one of Australia’s leading talents.
More recently he earned acclaim in Fun Home and played Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever. His latest role is colourful to say the least, being the lead in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
The classic Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, written in 1968, found fame in an era where biblical-inspired musicals including Godspell and Jesus Christ Superstar reigned on the world stage.
Taken from The Bible’s Book of Genesis, the story centres around Joseph, one of twelve sons to Jacob. Having been given a coat of many colours by his father, Joseph is banished by his jealous brothers in quite a terrible way. It’s a typical tale of family dynamics with favouritism, providence and forgiveness and a role which Euan has taken to heart.
“I’ve been having an absolute ball,” says Doidge.
“It’s not a carbon copy of the previous productions, which to be honest is a real gift. The creative team are a wonderful bunch from the UK, and they’re making it feel very much our own, not just for me, but for everyone.”
The production comes direct from the London West End, and the Australian cast also includes Paulini as the Narrator with Trevor Ashley and ex-AFL star Shane Crawford playing Pharaoh in Sydney and Melbourne respectively.
Doidge himself, steps into a role played in the past by notable singer/actors such as Andy Gibb, David Cassidy, Donny Osmond, Stephen Gately, Jaymi Hensley and Jason Donovan.
“Joseph is one of twelve brothers and Jacob’s favourite son,” says Doidge.
“I think of how I actually have a coming out story, and it kind of blows my mind.”
“He has the ability to interpret dreams and the story is told by the narrator through song and the involvement of children. It actually makes me feel like we’re in a big school concert hall and rummaging through a costume box to portray all these characters, and story.”
The technicolour dream coat is symbolic to the story, as it represents favouritism leading to jealousy, but ultimately family loyalty and love win out in the end. In 1970 the show was promoted on the back of Rice and Lloyd Webber’s other rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar and even promoted in the US as its sequel. It was an era when biblical stories found their place on the stage.
“Joseph is gifted the technicolour dream coat from his father,” says Doidge.
“His brothers are extremely jealous and had enough of him, so they sell him into slavery. In his own world, Joseph doesn’t understand why his brothers despise him so much, which is an interesting angle, and people who haven’t seen the show wouldn’t expect that. But the way it’s written actually makes it feel quite light-hearted and beautiful.”
“Everyone can see how the songs, and the contrast with what’s actually going on, and it’s especially interesting for me to play that character. The children help move the story along and later in the piece Joseph’s brothers kind of accept him again. It’s that traditional story of family dynamics, but it can be quite horrible to view the way that humans can treat each other. Sometimes we kind of forget about that, and this story brings it all to light.”
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat is a story that easily slots into each decade, especially given the ever-present social and political issues of the day. From the 1960’s to the 2020’s, similar parallels still unfold.
“It definitely has relevance today, which I think is super important,” says Doidge.
“That’s the beauty of this piece. To their credit, each time the directors and team do this production, they try to find the relevance to today’s society. When it first came back, it was around the time of the #blacklivesmatter protesting, so there’s an element of that within the show, particularly when Joseph sings his big number Close Every Door. It’s about standing up for people and no matter what the outcome, Joseph’s going to do it.”
“Our wedding was the most magical day, and if I could do it all over again, I would.”
Doidge himself comes from a happy family background. While Melbourne has been his home for the past eleven years, he was born in New Zealand but grew up in regional South Australia.
“I grew up in Millicent, South Australia and then also Mount Gambier, which is where I trained as a dancer,” he says.
“I have an older brother and two younger sisters, who still live at home in Mount Gambier. They all sing as well, but I’m the only one who’s taken it to a profession level. But we’re very much a creative family.”
It’s a family that Doidge is close to, and one that provided the needed support when the actor chose to come out.
“I was nineteen and kind of knew for a long time, but I didn’t really act on it,” says Doidge.
“I just didn’t know how to. But once I moved away from the country, I kind of found myself and who I was. It was shortly after that when I told my family, and it was like nothing had changed. They never saw me as anyone other than their son and brother, and I’ve been very fortunate to have that support. I know not everyone does.”
“In terms of coming out, I now think of how I actually have a coming out story, and it kind of blows my mind. That shouldn’t have to happen to anyone. People should just be themselves initially, with no questions asked.”
It was also the theatre world, full of like-minded creatives and LGBTIQ+ professionals that gave Doidge his community, with support both in his career and personal life. After all, it’s also where he met his husband, Mitchell Fistrovic.
“When I was around eighteen, I did my first professional musical A Chorus Line, with Tim Lawson who is the also the producer on Joseph,” says Doidge.
“It was my very first show where I played the part of Paul, and it opened my eyes to a whole other world. I always knew I wanted to do musical theatre, but prior to studying it, I’d never actually seen a musical. From a very young age I knew I wanted to perform in some capacity, and theatre was it.”
Euan’s husband Fistrovic, also has a history in musical theatre, including Aladdin, Strictly Ballroom, Mary Poppins and Frozen. Having known and worked with each other over many years, they eventually became a couple, marrying earlier this year.
“Mitchell and I started dating during Priscilla, which is a show we both hold close to our hearts” says Doidge.
“It was a special time for both of us. We’ve known each other for eleven years and been together for four. We had our wedding in January at the Melbourne Windsor Hotel, and it was very small and intimate with my parents and in-laws. Our celebrant was John O’Hara, another actor and close friend of ours, who Mitchell worked with on Wicked. We wanted someone who knew us well and could explain about our journey in that very personal way. It was the most magical day, and if I could do it all over again, I would. It was everything we wanted and more. Everyone thought we’d have a huge wedding, but we wanted the day to be about us, and that’s exactly what it was. It was beautiful!”
Fistrovic, along with presenter and educator Jackie Scott, also runs RISE, a mental youth program for young performers. With a dedication to the growth and development of new artists, it’s also a great example of fellow performers coming together to support and educate others in the industry.
“They run the RISE program throughout the school holidays,” says Doidge.
“It’s a love that Mitchell’s found, and I’m so proud of both for creating a program which so many of us missed out on while growing up. They teach the mental health side of things, including confidence and self-awareness and having control of who they are, not only as performers, but as people.”
Doidge and Fistrovic are themselves, examples of the partnerships and support groups prevalent in the theatre world, and broader entertainment industry. It’s not uncommon to see the forging of many lifelong friendships in this close-knit community.
“Some of those people I met back on A Chorus Line are still my closest friends today,” says Doidge.
“I have so many wonderful friends from my first years in theatre that I now call family. Lucy Maunder (Mary Poppins) is one of our best friends and Jared Bryan (West Side Story) is one of closest family friends. Working on Cruel Intentions was a lovely experience because I got to work with Drew Weston and Kirby Burgess who I’ve known for years. It was the same on that show with Francine Cain, who also did Grease with me. It’s always nice to come back to those people. Many years pass by, but it’s as if we saw each other yesterday!”
Outside of theatre Doidge is a homebody, spending time with his husband listening to Jessie J, and to no surprise, entertaining his theatre friends.
“Work life can be a bit crazy, so having couch time and hibernating is a necessity for me. Spending time with my husband, family and friends over dinner and drinks is always my favourite thing. Then there’s also cuddles with our dog Frankie!”
Having said that, with theatre being his life, is there a dream role yet to be fore fulfilled?
“Definitely Simba from the Lion King, and Fiero in Wicked, which was one of the first musicals I ever saw and is still my favourite. I saw the Lion King on Broadway and grew up with that movie, so that really has a nostalgic side.”
But for now, the actor wears the technicolour dream coat, and is wearing it well. After all, his past stage experience includes frocking it up in the outback, fighting uprisings in Paris, donning Fifties motorcycle leathers, and strutting the stage in those Kinky Boots! Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat now adds even brighter colours, in more ways than one.
“I think people will come out of this show with a huge smile on their faces and feeling uplifted,” says Doidge.
“It’s come at the perfect time and feels like a huge cleanse. It’s been thirty years since Joseph was here and it’s loved by so many people. Bringing it back will be joyous for all ages. People know it so well, but it will have a different meaning this time around.”
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dream Coat is playing at Melbourne’s Regent Theatre, before heading to the Capitol Theatre Sydney.
For more: josephthemusical.com.au
Follow Euan on Instagram @euanfistrovicdoidge
