Reviewed by Jayne Knight
Last night, I sat in awe at the talent and exuberance of Derby Youth Musical Theatre as they portrayed the life of Phineas Taylor Barnum; a man renowned for his humbug, flim-flam and hogwash. There will be no such use of the language from me.
I was so blown away by the skills shown in this group that by the end of the performance my hands hurt with giving such deserved applause. Thirty-five actors erupted on to the stage showing circus skills such as juggling, diablo, unicycle and tight rope walking, together with singing dancing and acrobatics.
Barnum, (William Evans, 23) is on stage for almost the entire show. His interaction with the audience is in evidence from the first few lines in which he is busy exponing his noble art. An amateur performance it most certainly was not with a dexterity shown in ‘One brick at a time’; getting his tongue around listing the various objects in his museum in. ‘the Museum Song’ and singing ‘The colours of my Life’ alongside his wife, Charity, (Holly Twells, 25) as their different perspectives on life were laid out before the audience; Barnum with his Cherry Red, Sunshine Yellow and Kerry Green, as opposed to his wife, with a steadying hand, preferred the dappled shades.
Holly Twells took the stage with confidence, playing the role with emotion as befitted her character. She was an excellent choice to support William Evans. Watching the two together showed a fantastic rapport to the point that you could believe that they were husband and wife of many years standing. Her tone and manner when in the presence of Jenny Lind (Kira Coombes, 18) was that of a woman who, if not jealous, was at certainly unhappy about her husband’s relationship with the Swedish Nightingale.
Of all of Barnum’s attractions that we see on stage Joyce Heth (Niamh Abbott, 17) Jenny Lind (Kira Coombes) and General Tom Thumb (Daniel Moore, 14) show exceptional talent; Niamh plays a woman purported to be 160 years old yet sings and dances in a comedic fashion; Kira has a voice that is mature beyond her years and Daniel has the youthful mischief and sparkle in his confident performance as befits his role.
The songs and music by Cy Coleman range from humorous and bouncy to soulful and blues, which gives Katie Welsh (22) the opportunity to take the lead in a sultry rendition of ‘Black and White’.
The ensemble and supporting actors range in age from 13 to 25, so this is youth at its best. They have been skilfully directed by Peter Waters, with choreography by Caroline Green, which it has to be said, (having seen the original stage version, many years ago with Michael Crawford) is remarkably similar to the London show, which is no mean feat for this talented group undertake.
Running until 5th October, with a matinee on Saturday this show is well worth seeing. It is wonderful to see so many young people enjoying the performing arts at such a high level.
If I could give a 5*+ rating for this performance I would.
Rating: 5/5
Tickets cost from £17 (booking fees may apply).
Barnum is at Derby Theatre from 3-5 October 2019, for more information or book tickets visit www.derbytheatre.co.uk or call the box office on 01332 593939.
Derby Theatre, 15 Theatre Walk, St Peter’s Quarter, Derby, DE1 2NF | 01332 593939
