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★★★
Barnum: The Circus Musical is currently touring the UK and Ireland and is based on the life and career of the 19th-century showman of the same name. Known for his work with sideshows through Barnum’s American Museum, the musical written by Mark Bramble (book), Cy Coleman (music) and Michael Stewart (lyrics) centres on the showman’s fascination with “humbugging” audiences and his relationships with wife Charity, business partners and the acts that he promoted. The Watermill Theatre’s actor-musician reimagination of the production with direction by Jonathan O’Boyle is the revival currently touring and it is at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury this week. Led by Matt Rawle as P.T. Barnum and Monique Young as Charity Barnum, I had the opportunity to watch the musical on press night and was impressed by the dazzling nature of the piece but found the narrative to be somewhat disjointed.
Background and structure
The musical follows the showman’s life from 1835 up to 1880, providing insights into the businessman’s character and ambition. Spectators are thrown into P.T. Barnum’s world through “step right up” circus style announcements and an immediate breaking of the fourth wall, which is where I struggled to grasp what the musical’s identity is. There is limited background to the character and instead audiences immediately learn of some of the promoter’s acts and examples of deception, specifically through the oldest woman alive Joice Heth. Following this, there is a whistle stop tour through the dynamics of his marriage to Charity and the events that lead to the showman promoting Jenny Lind and General Tom Thumb. The musical concludes with his later ventures, but throughout there is an uneven pacing to the storytelling that makes it feel part musical revue, part circus spectacle and part journey through Barnum’s life story. That being said, what the narrative lacks in terms of a clear sense of direction, is balanced with big musical numbers, jaw-dropping circus skills and creative choreography.
Actor-musician format
It goes without saying that the actor-musician format of the production is what keeps the energy levels high in this period musical. Every musical number has been meticulously crafted and curated to showcase the brilliance of the talent onstage and it is something that keeps the music exciting even when the score borders on being repetitive tonally. The quality of the musical numbers, notably ‘One Brick at a Time’, ‘There is a Sucker Born Ev’ry Minute’ and ‘Join the Circus’ is the beating heart of the show and the company gives everything to each track.
An extravagant, music-focused revival
This spectacle of a show is a marvel to watch and listen to and is supported by really vibrant set and costume design from Lee Newby. The narrative just needs more depth, focus and clarity in my opinion, and this holds the production back from being as strong as the rest of its elements. You can catch the show at the Marlowe Theatre until Saturday 26th September, before it continues onto the next stop of the tour. Tickets can be purchased via the venue’s website.
*My ticket for Barnum: The Circus Musical was gifted in exchange for an unbiased review.
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