Barnum – Aylesbury Waterside Theatre

We begin with the recognisable fanfare of the classic circus soundtrack ringing out, preparing us fully for what we are about to experience: an evening at the circus, perhaps even the greatest circus of all time. The curtain rises, and we are inside the ring, with Barnum’s name up in lights and the familiar surrounding red and white stripes of the tent. The set is compact yet clever, designed by Lee Newby, who has incorporated subtle additions that enhance the performance, such as a ladder that enables acrobats to access the upper levels and multiple hanging ropes for some spectacular aerial acrobatics.

One of the highlights is Barnum himself, played by Lee Mead, a true showman. Charismatic, talented and confident, he seems right at home at centre stage with an audience hanging on his every word and action. His back-and-forth with the audience, breaking the fourth wall, uses us like an additional character and amplifies his aura as a showman; this engages with his audience as he would in a circus ringmaster role. Mead portrays all aspects of the Barnum character, not just the performer, but also the con-man, the grifter, and later, in his life, the politician and the family man. Each aspect of his complex character comes together to form a whole, and whether or not you agree with his morality or his sometimes vexing opinions, it cannot be denied that Mead portrays it all brilliantly.

But behind every great man is an even better woman, and, for Barnum, this is no different. Charity Barnum is played by the wonderful Monique Young, a talented singer, dancer and star in her own right, who has her own moments at centre stage. But it is hard to ignore that she truly comes to life with her partner, P.T. In fact, they both do: they each make each other better, the humour and emotion between them remind the audience that Barnum has human flaws and he is not just as his circus persona presents. When they sing together, it is magical. The song The Colours of My Life highlights the differences in their personalities, and it comes together to show what a great team they are, helping to amplify the connection and chemistry this leading couple have.

The ensemble, consisting of an amazing array of multi-talented performers, is superb throughout. You can pick out any single member and count the number of disciplines they show during the performance and marvel at the skill on display. Whether it is as a singer, dancer and acrobat or a singer, dancer and instrumentalist, they all face difficult and multi-faceted roles and manage them so well to bring the grand spectacle to life. They each do their jobs brilliantly, particularly the acrobats and circus performers whose high-flying antics and ground-level tumbling are spectacles of skill and strength that take the songs and musical numbers up a notch in tempo and marvel. Special mention to Eamonn Cox, the ringmaster, who, when he isn’t playing multiple instruments and dancing, acts as the show’s narrator and keeps things flowing from scene to scene.

The choreography by Oti Mabuse of Strictly Come Dancing fame and Matt Nicholson is something truly special, with lots of moving parts, precise timing and even equipment-assisted stunts that would completely fail if one of the parts was even slightly out of sync. But they manage these without putting a foot wrong to make it magnificent. Even the set changes are impressive; in fact, this performance may include the most impressive choreographed set change this reviewer has ever witnessed: never have a table and chair been brought onto the stage with such grace and acrobatic prowess.

Altogether, this performance is great. However, at times it is difficult to understand some of the lyrics due to the abundance of other sounds, the fast tempo of the songs or sometimes the accents used by the actors themselves. Nevertheless, this, and the sometimes overwhelming and overloading mixture of lights and sounds, are not enough to bring down what is an exceptional evening of entertainment and a nostalgic reminder of many a childhood trip to the circus.