This is what it means to be wonderstruck

Now playing in Joburg is an iteration of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat that pushes beyond the perceived limits of the musical and respectfully illuminates the material in brand-new ways. By Keith Bain

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The whispers are true: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is the show of the year.

From the golden voice of the dreamboat playing Joseph to the gold lamé short shorts worn by the ensemble in one of the show's many visually striking scenes, the latest South African production of this 52-year-old musical is a trove of precious moments.

It has it all: grit, wit, pizzazz and punch. Plus tremendous behind-the-scenes chutzpah and superlative onstage talent.

There's an X-factor, too: real innovation, that extra-special something making sure that, by the time you skip into the foyer at interval, pulse elevated, adrenaline coursing, you know that all bets are off, that theatre still possesses the capacity to surprise and astonish.

Perhaps it’s the gorgeousness of everyone and everything on stage, or maybe the sizzling arrangements of songs you're familiar with, but which now have a blast of mould-breaking energy. Perhaps it’s the choreography, which makes you want to hit the dance floor, and the performances, which bring the house down. Or maybe it’s the beyond-all-expectation conceptualisation, which has transformed the spectacle into a whole new beast — something that’s fresh, funky and full of heart.