Barnum holds such a place in my heart, having acted in an amateur production many years ago, that when I heard it was going to tour I thought nothing of booking a ticket for the first place it was showing. And so I travelled the 3+ hours by car to get to The Curve in Leicester to watch Brian Conley as Barnum in the Saturday evening performance, only the 2nd or 3rd show of the tour.
My seat was dead centre in the 3rd row, a perfect seat to watch the story on stage unfold. At this point I would like to mention that the legroom I had was by far and away the most I have had in a theatre for quite some time.
But back to the show itself. The action actually began in the auditorium itself with members of the cast juggling, performing balancing acts and interacting with the audience both in the stalls and in the balcony section.
Soon the audience's attention was redirected once more to the stage where Brian Conley began the show proper.
If I am 100 percent honest, I was not sure how I would like Brian in the lead role. However I should not have been concerned. He may not be the best singer, but that by no means detracts from the captivating performance he gives. He lives, breathes and sweats Barnum from his singing, acting and audience participation to his tumbles, falls and other circus acts.
Added to this the chemistry between himself and his on stage wide Linzi Hateley playing Chairy Barnum was so beyond impeccable. You could see in every scene they loved working together, and trusted each other in the roles. Linzi was a pleasure to watch. The way she was totally emmersed in the role was superb. She sang beautifully, acted and re-acted to Brian as Barnum with such precision and was simply a pleasure to watch.
A highlight for me was the performance by Mikey Jay-Heath as Tom Thumb. The energy he gave to the song Bigger Isn't Better was truly amazing. It was pointed out to me by friends afterwards that there may have been a microphone malfunction during one of the tumbles meaning those not lucky enough to be near to the stage may not have heard the song fully, but take it from me, this guy can sing. I cannot go beyond this point without mentioning the staging as this enhanced the Tom Thumb scene to epic proportions. It was very simple what was done to make Mikey look as small as Tom Thumb, but it was so effective, especially when the two guards and then Barnum entered in a very special way (no spoilers here), not to mention Jumbo of course!
Special mentions also have to be given to Landi Oshinowo, who shone as both Joice Heth and the blues singer in Black and White, and David Birch, who played Wilton as well as being a prominent ensemble member in most of the dance / tumble / circus routines.
This leads me on to say I could not believe the talent that the whole cast had as a group. Every single member of the cast was involved throughout the whole show, dancing, tumbling and performing an array of different circus acts (and I include Brian Conley in that). The whole cast made the show flow with seamlessness, I cannot think how many costume changed some of the cast must have had.
I went to see Barnum with rose-tinted glasses, remembering the love of the show I had when, all those years ago, I was lucky enough to be in a production of it. But the rose-tints where not needed. The show I saw in Leicester was above and beyond my memories and expectations of what the show of Barnum could be. So much so, I may have to book to see it again. This time perhaps when the tour is a little nearer to my home town!
If you want to see a spectacle of a show, then this is the show for you. Barnum is touring until August 2015.
My seat was dead centre in the 3rd row, a perfect seat to watch the story on stage unfold. At this point I would like to mention that the legroom I had was by far and away the most I have had in a theatre for quite some time.
But back to the show itself. The action actually began in the auditorium itself with members of the cast juggling, performing balancing acts and interacting with the audience both in the stalls and in the balcony section.
Soon the audience's attention was redirected once more to the stage where Brian Conley began the show proper.
If I am 100 percent honest, I was not sure how I would like Brian in the lead role. However I should not have been concerned. He may not be the best singer, but that by no means detracts from the captivating performance he gives. He lives, breathes and sweats Barnum from his singing, acting and audience participation to his tumbles, falls and other circus acts.
Added to this the chemistry between himself and his on stage wide Linzi Hateley playing Chairy Barnum was so beyond impeccable. You could see in every scene they loved working together, and trusted each other in the roles. Linzi was a pleasure to watch. The way she was totally emmersed in the role was superb. She sang beautifully, acted and re-acted to Brian as Barnum with such precision and was simply a pleasure to watch.
A highlight for me was the performance by Mikey Jay-Heath as Tom Thumb. The energy he gave to the song Bigger Isn't Better was truly amazing. It was pointed out to me by friends afterwards that there may have been a microphone malfunction during one of the tumbles meaning those not lucky enough to be near to the stage may not have heard the song fully, but take it from me, this guy can sing. I cannot go beyond this point without mentioning the staging as this enhanced the Tom Thumb scene to epic proportions. It was very simple what was done to make Mikey look as small as Tom Thumb, but it was so effective, especially when the two guards and then Barnum entered in a very special way (no spoilers here), not to mention Jumbo of course!
Special mentions also have to be given to Landi Oshinowo, who shone as both Joice Heth and the blues singer in Black and White, and David Birch, who played Wilton as well as being a prominent ensemble member in most of the dance / tumble / circus routines.
This leads me on to say I could not believe the talent that the whole cast had as a group. Every single member of the cast was involved throughout the whole show, dancing, tumbling and performing an array of different circus acts (and I include Brian Conley in that). The whole cast made the show flow with seamlessness, I cannot think how many costume changed some of the cast must have had.
I went to see Barnum with rose-tinted glasses, remembering the love of the show I had when, all those years ago, I was lucky enough to be in a production of it. But the rose-tints where not needed. The show I saw in Leicester was above and beyond my memories and expectations of what the show of Barnum could be. So much so, I may have to book to see it again. This time perhaps when the tour is a little nearer to my home town!
If you want to see a spectacle of a show, then this is the show for you. Barnum is touring until August 2015.