Following the success of "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?" — which cast Connie Fisher as Maria in the West End revival of The Sound of Music — Lloyd Webber along with returning host Graham Norton will cast the lead in an upcoming West End revival of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

"There hasn't been a male rock superstar cast in a role for some time and that's what I'm looking for — somebody like Justin Timberlake," Lloyd Webber said in an announcement.

"There have been some great Josephs, but, unlike Maria, there hasn't been an 'iconic' Joseph. The audience have their favourites but I'm looking for someone with star quality, real charisma, to hold that show in what is a really complex character."

Thousands of hopefuls who audition will be whittled down — for viewers to see — to 100 who will make it to callbacks, where again the panel will decide the 50 lucky prospects. Then, the competitors will undergo "Joseph School" where they will get coached on vocals, acting and choreography. The final test will have the guys perform live at Lloyd Webber's castle in Ireland for his invited friends, family and local people. And, that's just the first two episodes.

The final 12 chosen get to perform for the voting BBC One audience over eight live shows. Jason Donovan — who performed a long run in the West End staging of the musical — will appear as a guest. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat follows the biblical tale of the title character who is sold into slavery by his jealous brothers.

Joseph played on Broadway in 1982 with Bill Hutton as Joseph and Laurie Beechman as Narrator. It was then revived in 1993 with Michael Damian and Kelli Rabke in those roles.