Following an interesting conversation am wondering of this one could be true! Time is running out if a "name" is to take over from Lee Mead for them to learn the part so is it going to be a musical theatre performer, and could the person I was chatting to be right that it could be a return of James Bisp?

I've heard a number of rumours about various people supposedly taking over from Lee, but I would love to see James Bisp in the role. He's such a fantastic perfomer and it was a real shame he didnt get to go on as Joseph before, so I for one would be thrilled if he gets to return in the lead role. If you get any more info, be sure to let us know

Not sure if this one is true. I've heard it too.
Guess it's a case of wait and see!

Last I heard no decision had been taken at all. If they want to sell tickets for an extension they need to get moving quickly, and in the current financial climate they'd be bloody morons to close a potentially successful show in January just because the star is leaving.

There is a small article on Page 17 of the Daily Express on Tuesday 21st October about Katherine Jenkins. It is all about how she is willing to fly home at weekends from USA to spend time with Gethin Jones, her Boyfriend.

Anyway, I quote from that article now,

"While Katherine is happy to commute to America, Gethin is committed to projects in the UK, including taking over from LEE MEAD in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream coat in the West End and the Strictly Come Dancing love tour in January and february"


Just thought i'd post this, not sure of its reliability as LEE leaves at the end of January., and the SCD tours rund right to the end of Feb.

I would absolutely love that, he was great in the show and it's such a shame he never got to go on. C'mon, let him finally have his chance!

Not sure if it is of any relevance but I was reading London Lite last night and scanning the theatre listings. Despite knowing the likes of Spamalot and Avenue Q are closing they are listed with no closing date, 'straight' plays have their closing dates listed and interestingly Joseph is down as closing Jan 10th. Possibly just the end of the booking period.

And does anyone know whether the rumour about Lee Mead starring in a production of Jesus Christ Superstar is true. Maybe Denise can be Mary and John Barrowman Judas. Yes just joking re Mary and Judas but is it true about Lee.

Not totally sure about the Jesus Christ Superstar rumour.
Lee is definately leaving Jan 10th.

I doubt it would be James Bisp as he is doing Peter Pan in Leeds until 31st Jan i believe.

If the rest of the cast is contracted until July do they have to pay them even if they close the show?
[/dumb question]
And yeah, I suppose they are leaving it quite late to start selling tickets and getting a Joseph (if they are and it's not Ricky carrying on) hopefully they give it to Ricky or give James Bisp a chance!

James Bisp is doing Peter Pan until the 31st jan but that doesn't mean he couldnt take over the role after that.

And it won't be Gethin

Yeah apparently Ricky isn't allowed to be on holiday in January or something....who knows? But I hope they'll decide quickly and give us a name! =)

Please can someone remind me who James Bisp is?

He was first cover Joseph in the 2007/2008 cast, but never got to go on because of Lewis Bradley being brought in as the standby. He was also in the 2006 Open Air Theatre season, and quite a few other things. Very talented actor with a great voice.

I think it's safe to assume Joseph is closing, as it's only a couple of months until its booking period expires and it's too late to extend successfully. Being so close to Christmas, most big shows extended well into next year at around the same time to drum up some decent Christmas business.

The rumours regarding JCSS and Gethin are typical, obvious-choice rumour shite, just because of the whole ALW and biblical link, and Gethin Jones did a feature on Joseph on TV. Neither of them are true.

It's not uncommon for casts to be told they can't take any holiday for several weeks after a cast change (as there will be when Lee leaves) so I don't think you can read too much into this.



No. All contracts have a get out clause in case a show closes early. Generally it's a notice period of two weeks, so provided the cast gets at least two weeks notice, they won't be paid after it closes. If a show closes before that two week period, they will be paid two weeks' salary even though they aren't performing.

Surely there is a Joseph amongst the cast of Never Forget? Such a talented cast who are out of work in a few weeks?

Nah, to revive Joseph now they'd need an actual name to go on the marquee. 'Now featuring someone you've never heard of fresh from failed jukebox musical' is not go to throw up the urgent business it would need to justify such a late extension. No, Joseph will be no more come January.

Nice idea though... that show had an awesome cast.

I heard that Zac Efron could be taking over from Lee! He might be good in the part, but can you imagine the hoards of screaming tweens at every show?!

...As opposed to the hoards of screaming Loppies or whatever ridiculous name the Lee fans call themselves?

I'm pretty sure that Efron's Horde would have been far larger and more annoying, fortunately it's been confirmed that he's not going to be in Joseph.

I think you'll find not all Lee fans call themselves that either. That's just one fan group.

The essential difference is that the Loppies don't need booster cushions.

The latest news from the horse's mouth, as it were, is that the "new Joseph" has been found, and will be announced to the cast this week, followed by a press release in the very near future. So watch this space....

Rubbish, it's way too late for that now. They've missed a lot of business by not extending and they'll never fill the seats next year. I can't quite believe there's still speculation about a new Joseph, especially the long-disproved 'gossip' about Gethin Jones (never an option) and Zac Efron (as if that was EVER true!). It's closing, it can't stay open beyond January now. What gets me is why RU have been so cagey about posting notices for Jospeh and SOM. It's so near Christmas and it's way too late for either of them to extend, so why prolong the agony (and this stupid speculation)?

And as for Lee going into JCS... give me strength.

I am surprised if this show is closing. In these uncertain economic times I would have thought this show was still a "banker". It has after all been touring for years! Something else would be more of risk I would have thought. Joseph is still comparativly cheap to run as a show - like Blood Brothers and with a "celebrity" in the title role I would have thought it still had legs. What about Peter Andre for Joseph and Katie Price as the Narrator?? I really should be a producer!!!

To extend the run this late in the game, they need a major marquee name (regardless of ability LOL!) on the level of a Zac Efron. In this economy, I can't see how they're going to maintain the box office numbers with even a B-list celebrity, well maybe for a few weeks, but not for a 3 to 6 month contract. They've only started discounting tix in recent months, but they're not selling out the way they used to.

Time was that Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice were names enough for anyone. The cast were secondary.


They only need to break even. In this economy trying to open a new show in the theatre early in the new year would be commercial suicide: you only get one chance to open a show, and February's not the best time of year even in a strong economy. Leaving the theatre empty for months would also be a bad situation because it would still be racking up costs. Under the circumstances an established show that hovers around its break-even point is a pretty good thing to have. They might be better off keeping it going with a cheap non-name in the title role than casting an excessively-salaried star who may well not cover their own cost to the production.

As for speculation about replacement Josephs, I can reveal that the next Joseph will be ... me! You heard it here first. And last.

Take a look at this

http://www.nowmagazine.co.uk/celebrity-new...-next-joseph/1/


.

Wish they'd just get on with it!!!

Whatever they do, I still think the Peter Andre thing is nonsense. I hope so, anyway, because he is gross! The pair of them (Jordan as well) are gross! And it would be a travesty!

But however close it is now to January, I would tend to think that Matthew Winn has it right. Who in their right minds would close a relatively cheap show (it will surely still break even), given the current awful financial climate? If it wasn't for that, though, I would be assuming that having heard nothing meant they would indeed be closing. But this "announcement to be made imminently", next week (or this week) as the case may be, has been going on for months. And nothing has happened. Maybe it will be this week, this time. It is past time something was known.

Was at theatre tonight. Story remains the same - new Joseph will be announced this week (internally at least).

No plans to close on 10 January - why close when the show is still pulling almost a full house every night, and
not just because of Lee Mead. It's a feel-good show which appeals to children & adults alike, and there aren't
that many of those out there at the moment. Why shoot a horse that still has a few good races in him??

Also, what sort of idiot wants to leave a valuable piece of property like the Adelphi lying empty? Use your common
sense guys!!

Thats the main thing that points to it staying open, nothing else has been announced.
Unlike for most other things closing.

Maybe they can get through Jan/Feb on discounts and a minor name.

What on earth has Jordan to do with Peter being cast in Joseph.
Pleased stop confusing performer's personal life with a theatre role.


.

it's true Peter is cast

I am not confusing personal life with a theatre role. I am just saying that I find him (them) repulsive!

I would imagine that he can hold a reasonable tune, but he doesn't even look young for his age. I know Joseph is supposed to cover 20 years, or whatever, but there isn't a hope that he could pass as a 20 something, let alone a teenager to start with. And the very idea of him smacks horribly of desperation.

Joseph wouldn't be white european looking but he is generally cast that way. So why should age be important?

Of course it bloody isn't.

I can't believe it. The bloody thing's only gone and extended to July. It hasn't got a chance.

Maybe the very sweet Gareth Gates would help.

Gareth Gates??? Gosh, I hope not!!! The though of him in a loincloth makes Lewis Bradley look like a good option.... and trust me, he was apalling!

Like to see what Mead's fans are saying about the show after he goes, and just found this acerbic comment on Gareth Gates by one of their more forthright members.

"Gates, however, was always a talentless also-ran, and certainly wouldn't be able to pull in a crowd larger than the one I saw outside McDonalds when they last introduced a new flavour McFlurry"

Ouch.... wouldn't wanna cross words with her!

Not all of Lee's fans are of that opinion though!!!

Hopefully the announcement will come soon enough! Would've thought that they announced it when they extended the tickets but apparently not

Sorry everyone but the Shows the Star here and has been for years.
It's just a really strong product. It will return to the West End again and again and in between times tour and tour.
Lee Mead,Jason Donovan etc etc etc Whatever. It don't matter.

I don't think anyone is doubting that Joseph is a successful show.

If the Gareth rumour is true (this time) he couldn't start straight away anyway, because he's doing Cinderella at the New Wimbledon until late January.

Gareth would be well suited to the role. The slightly scary Lee fan is sounding exactly like the slightly scary Will Young fans who never could accept that Gareth was popular too. The tv shows bring it out in some people. I don't see why Lee fans should be that fussed who takes over the role after he goes, unless they think it should close without him. It's good for Lee to do something new and it's good for Joseph to have a new lead. Whoever does take over from Lee will have a tough time I think, but most genuine theatre fans are wise enough to embrace something and someone different.

At least Gareth is a very good singer, which is more than can be said for some of the celebrity names that are associated with the part. I just don't see how he can do it unless they have someone else doing it inbetween.

However, I've got to agree. The show is the star and so long as they don't completely mis-cast the role, it should do alright for a while.

Joseph fan - can I just point out that that is the opinion of one rather misguided fan - there are an awful lot of us that dont agree with her - on that and a lot of other things!!

Sorry to post again but I have to reiterate that this is the opinion of one Lee fan, and not all.

The Lee fans I know are happy for Lee to move on and most are still going to support the remaining cast in Joseph. The show will indeed benefit from a new lead, a fresh take on the show. I think the concern is how long it can run that's all.

Luckily, not all Lee fans are as rude about Gareth or other harmless performers.

When Lee moves on we will see him in whatever he chooses to do next, and wish his successor all the very best.

Lee has been a wonderful Joseph, but there's room for us all.