Barnum – Birmingham Hippodrome

 Book: Mark Bramble

 Music: CY Coleman

Lyrics: Michael Stewart

Director: Jonathan O’Boyle

The name Phineas Taylor Barnum will be forever etched in the public consciousness as the ultimate showman and purveyor of hokum, or as he liked to call it, humbug. His wife, Charity, has a rather more prosaic description – ‘lies’. Nevertheless, Barnum had great success with his shows and exhibitions: he’d maybe argue that his humbug was honest humbug. Surely, no one was really fooled by a mermaid in a bath or a woman claiming to be 160 years old, but they at least went away entertained. And isn’t that what really matters?

By that definition, Barnum is definitely honest humbug. It’s big, it’s spectacular: the stage is a riot of activity, with members of the company singing, dancing, playing the music and performing acrobatic feats that in any other show would have you gasping for breath, but here just illustrate the scope of Barnum’s ambition and character. While this hustle and bustle draws us into the maybe chaotic life of Barnum, you’re sometimes left wondering if you’ve missed something elsewhere on stage, leaving the whole occasionally feeling episodic.

The Barnum in the show is larger than life, and we need a larger-than-life performance to do him justice and drive the show and its narrative. Step up Lee Mead, perhaps mostly remembered for his win in the 2007 TV series, Any Dream Will Do, that led him to take the titular role in that year’s West End revival of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat to considerable acclaim. Since then, he has appeared in the West End in numerous musicals. His singing voice is remarkable, and his stage presence magnetic. Even dressed as a clown, with outsize shoes to match, he draws the eye. He has range, too – while Barnum has a big dose of rough and ready charm, we also get occasional glimpses of the more vulnerable man beneath the bluster. His patter song, The Museum Song, is delivered with speed and panache.

It’s pretty much a truism that behind every great man is a great woman, and supporting Barnum in his endeavours is Charity, played by Monique Young. There’s real chemistry between Mead and Young as they support one another – and regularly quarrel about the direction they should take. Young, too, has a spectacular singing voice.

Also with quite the voice is Penny Ashmore’s Jenny Lind, the ‘Swedish Nightingale’, who brings a touch of class to Barnum’s touring show, and also turns his head, albeit briefly.

There’s a strong ensemble of (at least) triple-threat performers. Among the ensemble, we have the actor-musicians who provide the musical backing to the whole, including drums and glockenspiels, often while singing and dancing too. They make transitions between scenes seamless, with possibly the most graceful change imaginable when Barnum prepares to take Charity to a restaurant. The use of actor-musicians does lead to some incongruities, however, with at least one relatively serious exchange taking place with an instrument slung over the shoulder.

Jonathan O’Boyle’s direction ensures that the pace is maintained, together with the necessary ebb and flow needed in some of the more reflective pieces. Oti Mabuse’s choreography has a traditional feel, which bolsters the atmosphere well. And Barnum’s brashness as a showman is reflected in the garish set and costume design of Lee Newby.

Barnum is a swirl of honest humbug: loud, colourful and relentlessly busy, with circus skills and actor-musicians creating a constant sense of spectacle, even if the sheer volume of onstage activity occasionally tips into overload.

Runs until 25 April 2026 and on tour