Book: Mark Bramble
Music: Cy Coleman
Lyrics: Michael Stewart
Director: Jonathan O’Boyle
With a stage adaptation of The Greatest Showman on the horizon, this touring production of Cy Coleman’s Barnum makes a strong bid for the original circus musical. Delivering on its promise of sheer theatrical spectacle, the show leans heavily into acrobatic flair and old-school showmanship to create a vibrant, nostalgic celebration of the world’s most famous humbug artist.
Visually, the production is handsome and full of atmosphere. Frame by frame, the staging captures the period charm of classic novelty acts through a striped circus tent frame, glowing footlights, festoon bulbs, and a grand false proscenium arch. The real triumph of the staging lies in its circus integration. From aerial stunts to unbelievable feats of acrobatics, the physical circus skills feel entirely necessary to justify the show’s scale—without them, the piece would risk feeling bare.
In the titular role, Matt Rawle brings boundless energy and effortless charm, giving the part plenty of welly. He handles the crowd work with ease, pitching Barnum as a classic, silver-tongued ringmaster. While a few sleight-of-hand magic tricks during The Colours of My Life lacked the sleek polish needed for a venue of this scale, his tightrope walk is a highlight that has the auditorium holding its breath. Vocally, Rawle delivers a grand performance, navigating Cy Coleman’s notoriously wordy patter songs with ease. Opposite him, Monique Young provides a warm, grounding presence as Charity Barnum, serving as the essential anchor to his wild ambitions, even if the book rarely affords her the room to explore true dramatic hurt.
The lack of narrative breathing room remains the musical’s main issue. Bramble’s book moves at a breakneck pace, frequently sweeping major life events under the rug with little time for cause, effect, or lingering jeopardy. When tragedy strikes late in the piece, the narrative moves on so rapidly that the emotional impact is almost instantly swallowed up by the next sequence.
Musically, however, the production is a joy. The score is played superbly by a brilliant cast of actor-musicians who handle over 150 instruments on stage, bringing a rich, infectious energy to numbers that ring in the head long after the curtain call. Coupled with clever live pre-show announcements and slick scene transitions called directly by the Ringmaster, the production maintains a joyful momentum.
Act Two is short, sweet, and structurally light—it doesn’t particularly build to a dramatic crescendo, but within the context of a vaudeville-inspired biography, it hardly needs to. Complete with a charm-filled elephant puppet and relentless visual energy, this remains a thoroughly entertaining night at the theatre.
Runs until 10 October 2026 | Image: Pamela Raith
