Imagine for a moment that a man world famous for pulling the wool over a nation’s eyes with his talent for humbug and flim-flam could come up with the idea of staging a huge circus on the White House lawn, and then go on to run for public office. It could never happen… Right?
Wrong. Even the name Phineas Taylor Barnum might sound like a work of fiction, but not only did he serve as Mayor of Bridgeport and as a Member in the U.S. House of Representatives, but he became known as one of the greatest showmen of all time, as founder of ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’, Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey’s Circus.
Barnum the musical exploded onto the Broadway stage in 1980, opening in London’s West End the following year with an almost career-defining performance by Michael Crawford (surprisingly five years prior to donning the Phantom mask). It is also pertinent at this point to mention that Barnum pre-dates ‘The Greatest Showman’ by some 37 years. Barnum’s famous epithet has inspired various tellings, including other spin-off shows that also ride on the name.
Barnum has a book by Mark Bramble that rather sketchily tells the story of the rollercoaster lifestyle and career of the man who capitalised on his famous notion that ‘There’s a sucker born every minute’. The show’s success shamelessly relies on two things – the spectacle of its staging and its hugely infectious score by master tunesmith Cy Coleman, with lyrics by Michael Stewart. Like Coleman’s earlier Sweet Charity, poignantly intimate solos and duets alternate with huge, showstopping, marching band-style production numbers to create a score that is littered with memorable tunes. There are probably far more people who know ‘Come Follow the Band’ than actually know where it came from.
Director Jonathan O’Boyle brought this new production to life with Matt Rawle in the title role at Newbury’s Watermill theatre in 2024, and it is now well into an extensive UK and Ireland tour. O’Boyle has a gift for juggling intimate soul-searching and showbiz fantasy that creates a truly magical atmosphere (who could forget his glorious 2017 revival of Stephen Schwartz’s Pippin?) and his skill at moulding Bramble’s disjointed narrative into spellbinding storytelling is quite something to behold.
Rawle has returned triumphantly to lead the cast in this leg of the tour, and he himself proves to be a commensurate showman. He is surrounded by a huge ensemble cast of triple-threat performers, who double as the show’s orchestra, between them playing over 150 instruments ranging from a triangle to a sousaphone.
Lee Newby’s intricately detailed structural set instantly conjours the atmosphere of the glory days of circus, and provides the backdrop for an almost non-stop display of magic, acrobatics and aeriel acts. The stage is filled with genuine circus skills from beginning to end, with substantial input from Zippos Circus and the National Centre for Circus Arts, plus puppetry bringing us Jumbo the elephant.
Highlights among the top-flight cast are Monique Young as Charity Barnum, Penny Ashmore as Jenny Lind, Eamonn Cox as the Ringmaster and Fergus Rattigan as General Tom Thumb.
Barnum is the larger-than-life story of a larger-than-life man, and it is told here with tremendous style. This is a return to very traditional stagecraft and performance, and the production values match Coleman’s score in a nostalgic tribute to showmanship that has ‘Broadway’ written all over it. If you were to put this display of humbug and flim-flam on the White House lawn, nobody would be complaining!
Barnum plays at Liverpool Empire until 19th September before continuing its tour, with dates booking at six further venues up to the end of October.
Star rating: 4 stars
Matt Rawle and the cast of Barnum - Picture by Pamela Raith
This review was originally written for publication by Good News Liverpool
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