United Kingdom Barnum – The Circus Musical (book by Mark Bramble, lyrics by Michael Stewart and music by Cy Coleman): Cliffs Pavilion, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, 30.6.2026. (JPr)
I am sorry but for some reason I have never seen the much-admired 2017 musical film The Greatest Showman but suspect it has had a major influence on the current revival of the 1980 ‘original’, Barnum. Since I last saw it at Southend’s Cliffs Pavillion in 2014, the extended first half is (more than ever?) mainly a barnstorming music, song, dance and circus extravaganza with little pretence to telling you about the rise of Phineas Taylor Barnum to becoming, well, the ‘Great American Showman’.
Who indeed was ‘P. T.’ (as he became known)? At the end of 2½ hours I doubt many in the audience – who didn’t know about him already – were any the wiser. 12 years ago, informative programme essays explained how ‘He was a showman, investor, entrepreneur and marketing genius. He was an outspoken critic of slavery … a possible presidential candidate, and a tireless philanthropist. At 12, he was selling lottery tickets. When he was 25, he exhibited a woman called Joice Heth, whom he was reliably informed had been George Washington’s nurse … which would have made her 161 years old … He created Barnum’s American Museum in New York [a display of wonders, monstrosities and curiosities]; he turned an elephant [Jumbo] from London Zoo into an international superstar; and he created “The Greatest Show on Earth” … then the largest circus venture in American history.’ Despite an affair with the famous soprano ‘Swedish Nightingale’ Jenny Lind he returned to his long-suffering Charity (Chairy) who ‘was ‘the “rock” who enabled his dreams to come true’ and when P.T. Barnum died he was America’s richest man. The phrase ‘there’s a sucker born every minute’ is wrongly attributed to him when he much preferred ‘every crowd has a silver lining’.
Maybe it is the passing of the years, but all director Jonathan O’Boyle’s current Barnum – The Circus Musical revival leaves us with is the (sorry!) CliffsNotes of Barnum’s story and only a fleeting glimpse of how he became the world’s leading purveyor of ‘humbug’ – a word we hear time and time again. The show’s focus is primarily on the enduring relationship between Barnum – who is always willing to risk everything on a whim – and Charity the faithful – and more risk-averse – wife who kept him grounded.
Mark Bramble’s book remains rather weak, and the Michael Stewart and Cy Coleman songs are not particularly memorable apart from the reflective ‘The Colors of My Life’ for Charity and Barnum, and the one real showstopper on this occasion ‘Come Follow The Band (straight after the interval). This has been given an in-your-face John Philip Sousa-style musical makeover and maybe the only one you might come out of the theatre humming. This is when the genius of the extremely enthusiastic actor-musicians in the company – who played the score live on apparently over 150 instruments (one of them a sousaphone) really excelled. Throughout they gave an extremely accomplished rendition of Cy Coleman’s almost relentlessly upbeat score.
O’Boyle’s Barnum was first seen in 2024 at Newbury’s Watermill Theatre, and it is – somewhat routinely – choreographed by Oti Mabuse (of Strictly Come Dancing fame). Together they (over?) fill the stage and there is never a dull moment because of short scenes that quickly flash by with the company in Lee Newby’s frequently garishly coloured costumes: Newby is also responsible for a set that is part-proscenium arch and part-circus tent. Talented circus artists display their skills by – amongst much else – hanging down on trapeze, aerial hoops or ribbons, balancing as a human pyramid or with acrobatics on the teeterboard or as tumblers. However, with the musicians also cluttering the stage some of all the non-stop antics did distract a little from the story we were seeing. I will admit though that the set design and costumes, aided by Jai Morjaria’s lighting, did add an evocative hint of a bygone era and the magic of circus. As did the (too?) brief appearance of Jumbo’s head through the curtain courtesy of some War Horse-like puppetry.
The Lee Mead fan base was out in force for local boy made good finishing his stint on the ongoing Barnum tour with these performances in his hometown. I don’t know precisely what Jim Dale and Michael Crawford originally brought to the role, but I know what Brian Conley did and that was the idea of one showman portraying another. Mead is a fine musical theatre performer but doesn’t have an old-style Variety background to have the twinkle-in-the-eye sense of fun and the hutzpah to bring to life Barnum as an out-and-out huckster/’snake oil’ salesman. Mead had an open-faced, cheeky chappie appeal and sang superbly (despite the patter of his ‘Museum Song’ failing to bring the house down as it should): and all credit to him for the infamous tightrope walk (without a safety wire). Also, that he can act is not in doubt – it was just whether he was Barnum – and as the shorter second act emphasises his role as a politician and social reformer it gave Mead his finest moment as he revealed genuine despair over Charity’s death.
Monique Young is another fine singer and portrayed the strait-laced Mrs Barnum with conviction, stoicism, elegance and wit. There was undoubted chemistry between her and Mead’s Barnum which made Charity’s loyalty to him – and their love – totally plausible and which added to the pathos of his lament when she died.
Penny Ashmore has all the high notes for the flighty, harp-strumming Jenny Lind and gave her an appealing and very amusing haughty foreignness; Dominique Planter had great fun with the not-so-venerable Joice Heth’s ‘Thank God I’m Old’ and Fergus Rattigan – though a little taller than the original General Tom Thumb’s 24 inches – brought a great sense of fun to ‘Bigger isn’t Better’ between the two Beefeaters on stilts!
Part of one of P. T. Barnum’s famous sayings was ‘Whatever you do, do it with all your might’. That is exactly was this amazing company – who seem to be powered by Duracell batteries! – does during the show. They are clearly keen for the audience to have a great time and we are royally entertained. But whether it is ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’ or does justice to Barnum the man is debateable.
Jim Pritchard
For more about the autumn 2026 tour of Barnum – The Circus Musical click here.
Featured Image: The cast of Barnum – The Circus Musical © Pamela Raith
Cast included:
Lee Mead – Phineas T Barnum
Monique Young – Charity Barnum
Penny Ashmore – Jenny Lind
Dominique Planter – Joice Heth / Blues Singer
Fergus Rattigan – General Tom Thumb / Morrissey
Laura Sillett – Ringmaster
Production:
Music by Cy Coleman
Lyrics by Michael Stewart
Book by Mark Bramble
Director – Jonathan O’Boyle
Choreographer – Oti Mabuse
Co-Choreographer – Matt Nicholson
Sets and Costume designer – Lee Newby
Lighting designer – Jai Morjaria
Sound designer – Tom Marshall
Circus director – Amy Panter
I wholeheartedly disagree with the comment that the songs are not memorable! They most certainly are. I first saw Barnum with Michael Crawford (who was brilliant btw) and the songs were then, and remain today, eminently memorable.
As for the comment that the writer did not know what Michael Crawford brought to the part – he brought passion, genius and months of hard work learning all the circus tricks that he performed with his usual high level of perfectionism.
I felt that Lee Mead made the role his own – albeit with less emphasis on the ‘circus’ element to the role and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole show.
As you can guess I LOVE Barnum. It has been, and remains, one my favourite musicals of all time.
Jim Pritchard replies: You’d think from this review that I didn’t like what I had seen, all I was saying was that it wasn’t as good as when I saw Brian Conley (and someone suggested to me that Lee Mead actually seemed to be imitating him) and I said the songs were not ‘particularly memorable’ which I am sorry to say they are not. I couldn’t comment on Michael Crawford and Jim Dale because I never saw them though I can imagine what both of them brought to the role that perhaps Lee Mead did not.