To coincide with the previously announced Musicals: The Greatest Show, the BBC have launched a national singalong of ‘Any Dream Will Do’ from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. The event will be led by Jac Yarrow, the show’s leading man, and will be shown on 7 February 2021 during live the broadcast of Musicals: The Greatest Show. It’s time to warm-up those vocal chords and get singing!
Taking part in the singalong is super easy. On the BBC website, you will find a sign-up form to fill out and submit. You can sing solo or with a group (as long as the group is your household, as to not break government guidelines), and the BBC have provided a backing track and lyric sheet which are available to download here. If, like me, your singing voice isn’t the best (I like to say unique): don’t worry! You don’t have to have the voice of an angel, but you could even dance along if you aren’t feeling up to it.
With theatres still closed in the face of the Coronavirus outbreak, and there being no clear date as to when we can enjoy live theatre again, this singalong is perfectly timed. The thing that most people are missing about theatre is the atmosphere in the audience: there can be people from all over the country, from all walks of life, who are united by the show you’re watching, and it’s beautiful. The Joseph singalong allows for a recreation this feeling by bringing England together during a time that is incredibly difficult for us all. A timeless British musical that is adored by many, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s show is the perfect choice to bring entertainment and hope during lockdown. Personally, I would love to see more events like this being lined up for the coming months.
Hope, entertainment, and joy is what the nation is desperate for at the moment. This is the third time we are facing lockdown, and each time it seems to get harder and harder. From the launch of National Theatre At Home to most of us binging Bridgerton in January, and from online concerts to lockdown radio, we have craved the escapism that arts and culture brings because, right now, life is challenging and isolating. Even though we will all be singing and taking part in the Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat from the comfort of our own home, it will be lovely to be reunited with theatre-lovers virtually. Music is a universal language, after all.
However, virtual singalongs have their own complications, most notably accessibility. Not everyone can use the internet, nor does everyone have the means to record themselves. This event is by no means a perfect substitute for live theatre (I’m not sure anything will be), but even if you can’t record and send in a video, there’s nothing stopping anyone from just singing along without sending in a recording. In my eyes, as long as you enjoy the music then you’re doing it right!
You can tune in to BBC One on 7 February 2021 to see the results of the nation participating in a singalong of ‘Any Dream Will Do’. I know I’m incredibly excited to experience the closest thing to live theatre that we can! It will certainly be a reminder of how much we love and need our arts and culture sector to reopen as quickly as possible. Until we can be in auditoriums again, singing along to Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat together “will do”.
Words by Orla McAndrew.
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