Review: BARNUM, New Wimbledon Theatre - Tour
Photo credit: Pamela Raith
It is a curious time to see Barnum staged in a British theatre, with the hotly-anticipated arrival of The Greatest Showman to the West End now just months away.
Cy Coleman’s 1980 musical is, in many ways, the original stage retelling of the life of America’s great showman PT Barnum. But with its Disney backing and a starry cast signed up for the upcoming Theatre Royal Drury Lane production, could this anachronistic version of Barnum’s story be for the high jump?
Directed by Jonathan O’Boyle, this Barnum revival opened to positive reviews at Newbury’s Watermill Theatre before embarking on a nationwide tour, with Lee Mead in the eponymous role. However, for the autumn leg of the tour, Matt Rawle reprises the role of PT Barnum, having played the showman at the Watermill two years ago.
Rawle is a safe pair of hands and commands the stage in a style that the real Barnum would undoubtedly appreciate. Vocally, he demonstrates why he has built such a successful musical theatre career for himself but there is definitely something missing in the wider performance. Perhaps Mark Bramble’s book is a little too lacklustre, somewhat constricting the production, but we are never truly invested in Rawle.
It is a show full of extreme peaks and troughs. At its best, it is an all-singing, all-dancing extravaganza with the audience not knowing where to look through fear of missing the spectacle. The ensemble is consistently magnetic throughout, with the circus performances breathing life into an otherwise meandering show. Though when it is slow, especially during Barnum’s monologues to the audience, it can become more than a little frustrating.
Rawle gives a solid, if not standout, performance in the lead role but would benefit from showing a wider range of emotion. Barnum was a complicated character and requires a deeper, even darker, portrayal of his moods - for all his infectiousness and high-spiritedness, he should project more anger when life is not going so well.
Monique Young plays a very sweet Charity, PT’s wife, and impresses with her solo numbers, while Fergus Rattigan makes the most of his moment in the spotlight as General Tom Thumb.
Barnum is a flawed musical and would probably improve with some of the book scenes cut to make it a 90 minute show with no interval. The plot feels a little inconsequential in any case, so just build the momentum and focus on its obvious strengths; Barnum’s relationship with his wife and the spectacle of the circus.
Rawle is charismatic enough but needs to push the boundaries of Barnum’s character further to truly elevate this - some may say - outdated piece of theatre.
*** Three stars
Reviewed by: Tom Ambrose
