ANY sunshine dream will do -- and this summer you can see a rainbow of a show at Blackpool's Opera House.

After more than 30 years on the stage, Andrew Lloyd Webber's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is a legendary mele of mind-blowing music and colourful fun.

And Bill Kenwright's production is a dream-machine of non-stop action, familiar melodies, surprises and laughter to suit all ages.

A "reap what you sow" message runs through the biblical tale which begins with Jacob's gift of a dazzling coat to his favourite son, Joseph. This leads to jealousy, betrayal, slavery, imprisonment, recognition, success and revenge.

But there's no real darkness in a story which portrays forgiveness as a shining light and feet were tapping and hands were soon clapping along to Any Dream Will Do and One More Angel.

Jonathan Ball, as dream-teller, Joseph, replaces the billed Graham Tudor who pulled out with a bronchial infection at the last minute.

Jon's infectious personality, cheeky smile and West End theatre voice charmed the audience and he evoked a strong sense of drama with his powerfully emotional Close Every Door To Me. But the moment this blond spiky-haired, stocky Joseph cowered before the mighty Pharaoh, it was pure Freddie Starr meets Elvis.

Trevor Jary as Pharaoh Presley was a smouldering, snarling send-up -- a knight in a white satin jumpsuit who made the audience beg for a rocking good encore.

Effervescent Vivienne Carlyle served up a bubby, polished performance as the narrator and Joseph's all-singing, all-dancing eleven brothers offered strong vocal harmonies and good characterisations.

James Head was a benign Jacob who leapt into action and a pair of dungarees plus straw hat to join his bunch of red-neck sons at the hilarious hoe down. And they switched from southern drawl to French accents, striped tops and berets for the Parisienne-influenced Those Canaan Days. The Joseph choir comprised children from the Blackpool's Stagecoach theatre school.

There were fire-eaters, deliciously camped-up Egyptian slaves, kitsch 70s go-go dancers in lime-green flared catsuits, posh-talking camels, a butler who could have been John Cleese and a budding curly-haired Michael Ball. There was also more than one Joseph. Franciscan monk, Francis Morrison, 25, was in the front row of the theatre, clad in full-length multi-coloured striped dreamcoat, gold boots and glitter belt.

Francis travelled from Edinburgh to watch his 142nd performance of the show. A part-time DJ and youth worker, he has been following the show for 15 years. "I'm a real Joseph fan," says Francis. "There's nothing like it." The show runs until Saturday, August 3.