REVIEW: Stunning circus acrobatics standout moment for Barnum at The Lyceum
Could it be the Greatest Showman yet in the theatre realm?
The touring production of Barnum - which blends live music, circus performances, and musical theatre storytelling - brings its energetic spectacle to Sheffield as part of its UK tour.
West End favourite and TV star Lee Mead has been centre stage as in the lead role P.T. Barnum, a 19th century showman previously portrayed in the Hollywood megahit The Greatest Showman.
However, on the opening night it was announced that his very capable understudy Tom Sterling would be stepping up to play the pivotal showman.
What follows is a visual spectacle as a cast of 20 all-singing, all-dancing, circus show prancing performers take to the stage. More than 150 instruments are played at various stages of the show as the audience is wowed by an incredibly skillful repertoire with the excitement only somewhat tempered by a script that seems to lack narrative delivery to truly frame what is a brilliantly talented cast.
In this opening night show, which runs from April 28 - May 2 at The Lyceum, Stelling delivers an admirable performance. He adds some amusing comedic delivery and solid vocals, maintaining an energy and drive to get through the show, even through a few opening night jitters.
He fully embodies the role comedically, vocally and emotively, while also seeming remarkably at ease during the circus-elements of the show. But does he make the anticipated tightrope walk? On this occasion it did not quite work out.
He bravely attempted to deftly make it to the other side on a few occasions, all while the audience sat silently hoping he would get there – you could have heard a pin drop as each attempt was made, along with a giant exhale of disappointment. Sadly, it was not to be and after rousing the audience for a final go the curtain dropped.
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The cast as a whole were really good. Monique Young as Charity Barnum grows into the performance, showcasing a distinctly better vocal performance after a sometimes patchy first-half.
The only notable thing would be the portrayed relationship between P.T. Barnum and Charity, which isn’t quite as believable as it could be.
A particularly notable performance was that of Laura Sillett as the Ringmaster for this performance, who was fantastic, energetic and engaging right from the off. Also, Dominique Planter, as Joice Heth, sings with a fantastic depth that is both soulful, uplifting and bold. And, Penny Ashmore as Jenny Lind showcases an incredible range bringing the character to the stage wonderfully.
One of the key standouts of this show is the choreography both dancing and in the circus performances. The dancing elements are delivered with some lovely precision and have been put together by Oti Mabuse of Strictly Come Dancing fame.
The circus direction of Amy Panter is particularly well delivered, with the acrobats only enhancing the spectacle with their talented and tightly-nit performances – they are seriously brilliant.
Barnum The Circus Musical is a dazzling and impressive show on many levels. Visually it is a stunning spectacle that has the audience in awe, with excellent stage design framing it all well. Musically it can be a mixed bag with some very impressive vocals that can at times feel a little stilted due to the narrative direction of a show that is sometimes in such a rush to get to the end. So much so that it doesn’t find the time to slow down at key emotional moments, such as a death scene that was bypassed so swiftly the impact doesn’t quite land.
With some opening night jitters putting a tiny blot on its overall experience, Barnum is an enjoyable yet stilted show, where the musical elements and emotive moments can be overpowered by admittedly stunning circus acrobatics and theatrics.
The performances are great across the board, however it’s the weak story that ultimately stops it from all tying together.