Barnum

Just after acrobats in vintage-style circus outfits have strewn themselves through the audience, walking down stairs on their hands and the like, creating a truly circusy feel to the evening, Brian Conley appears at the front of the stage, ready to give his first speech as Barnum, the showman extraordinaire, who wowed America with his sideshow acts and razzmatazz. There is silence in the room. Then someone mutters, from the front row, "It's a puppet". Everybody's in stitches, including Conley himself, who must get that a lot. Once we've all recovered, we get into the story proper. The story of Barnum, his wife, his acts, and his life. The whole performance is as colourful as you'd expect, with swathes of vibrant fabrics and beautifully created costumes throughout. The scene which is only black and white stands out as a result. Conley is confident and his charismatic self, handling the Stateside accent with aplomb, as do all the other characters. The songs are catchy and frequent, the acting genuine and the emotions heartfelt. There's some Actual Magic and I particularly enjoyed the special effects for Tom Thumb and the elephant. You'll have to watch it to find out what I mean. It was a couple of hours of really fun loving, easy going, perfectly timed and coordinated escapism that was just perfect for a cold Spring evening. Well done all!