YOU may remember him as a member of the X Factor boyband Union J, but singer Jaymi Hensley is no one hit wonder.

This week he takes to the stage at the New Theatre Oxford to take the lead role in the hit musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s sparkling biblical tale is among the pair’s most popular shows and Jaymi is delighted to be donning the coat of many colours at the George Street venue for his first role in a major musical.

“I cannot describe how excited and honoured I am to be stepping into the prestigious coloured coat!” says Jaymi, who with Union J went on to have a top 10 album and later appeared on Celebrity Masterchef.

He adds: “When I think of iconic roles in musical theatre, Joseph was always one that I dreamt of playing growing up! And to finally say that I am going to play it is a dream come true. I cannot wait to meet all of the loyal Joseph Fans and bring you my take of this amazing dream role.”

Retelling the story of Joseph, his 11 brothers and that colourful coat, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was the first of Tim Rice Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musicals to be performed publicly.

Seen by an estimated 26 million people, and counting, it features the songs Go, Go, Go Joseph, Any Dream Will Do, Jacob and Sons and Close Every Door To Me.

Oxford Mail:

So what can audiences expect from a trip to see Joseph?

“It’s a real feel good musical,” says Jaymi.

“The music’s fun, it’s bright and colourful, and we have the most amazing, talented cast.

“The world at the moment is so depressing; I think everybody should come for a couple of hours of detachment from reality, and have a fun, uplifting time.”

Jamie says the subject of the story has special resonance to him as a man who has had to face his own challenges to be accepted.

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“It’s based on a biblical story about Joseph the dreamer,” he says. “He has 11 brothers, but he’s his father’s favourite and his dad gives him a coloured dreamcoat as a gift. His brothers get very jealous and hatch a plan to kill him, but instead he gets taken to Egypt as a slave and is sent to prison. Fate is on Joseph’s side however and despite trying times, he eventually becomes the prince of Egypt.

“Joseph has got something special. It has all these markers that made me think of my life. I had people, not brothers, but contemporaries at school, who told me I couldn’t be what I wanted to be. I’m a dreamer; I wanted to be a star. I also had something that made me different; being a gay man and finding out at a young age.

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“I always had my head in the clouds, but I was always sure of who I was and I never let what anyone said deter me. That’s how I approached Joseph, with the message that as long as you stand by who you are, eventually the rest of the world will see how wonderful you are too.”

The show runs at the New Theatre until Saturday. Tickets from atgtickets.com