Barnum The Circus Musical At The Alhambra Theatre Bradford Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Deborah Banasko
This musical was definitely on my “must see” list for the year; not because I knew a great deal about it, but because the concept felt unique, fun and a real spectacle, and due to the leading man being the wonderful Lee Mead. I took my 11-year-old son along to watch it with me, and he didn’t stop gushing about it on the entire journey home.
I was surprised to learn that the show was first performed in 1980 on Broadway, and that Glenn close was one of the original stars.
The show is set within the backdrop of a traditional circus as we enter the world of 19th century showman P.T. Barnum (Lee Mead), who dares to pursue his dreams along with his wife Charity (Monique Young). The show follows Barnum as he signs up acts such as the oldest woman and the smallest man in the world to join his “museum” of amazing acts. His ambitions hit multiple bumps in the road including one in the form of a Swedish opera singer Jenny Lind (Penny Ashmore), as his wife tries to guide him down a “less colourful” path.
The show is directed by Jonathan O’Byle and choregraphed by the amazing Oti Mabuse, so we had high hopes.
To answer the obvious question, this is not “The Greatest Showman”; the songs are different, but the similarity is that it follows the story of Barnum himself and some of the twists in his career.
It is quite difficult to do justice to the quality of the acrobatics and general performance of the actors when writing this review. This show isn’t just about singing, dancing and acting to the highest standard, we witnessed acrobats hanging from silks and ropes, performing dangerous stunts. Two people were jumping on a see-saw and literally flinging one another into the air whilst flipping into somersaults.
Performers walked on stilts; a woman fired a bow and arrow with her feet and there were marvels that I don’t know how to even describe. Did I mention that the multi-talented ensemble played a range of instruments throughout, just as you’d see in a circus or marching band? It was difficult to know where to fixate your eyes, there was so much to see. This is a strong cast who ooze talent, so be prepared to come away feeling slightly inadequate about your own skills, although thoroughly entertained.
A special nod has to be given to the puppetry which I won’t spoil for you, but this was a real highlight for my son and I. We were particularly impressed that Mead also got involved with the circus acts and performed a stunt so unexpected that I could barely watch… it’s best that I let this be a surprise for you, but he was brilliant!
Mead is a world-class leading man and captivates you throughout. His vocals compliment Young beautifully in “The Colours Of My Life”, particularly in the act 2 reprisal. We absolutely loved Dominique Planter in “Thank God I’m Old” and “Black and White”, but our favourite number was “Join the Circus” where the stage just came alive. There are a few songs that I expect to be singing for the rest of the week; each number was strong and told the story well.
The story was fast-paced, fun and sprinkled with acts throughout so there wasn’t a dull moment. The relationship between Barnum and his wife was depicted as being slightly turbulent, as they joke that if they are quarrelling then they are doing okay. At times we did feel that the badgering from Mrs Barnum was a bit, as my son eloquently described, “naggy”. This was down to the storyline and from an adult perspective it added some needed shade to balance out the glitz and flashing lights, and a sense of a reality check to the character of Barnum. I mention this as there are a couple of moments such as this which may be slightly lost on children, but they are brief, and few and far between. This is still a show for the whole family and one that children will marvel at; a theatre show and circus in one.
I would award Barnum The Circus Musical a well deserved 5 stars out of 5.
Rating: 5/5 stars
The show runs from 31st March until 4th April 2026, and tickets are priced between £22 and £58.
You can purchase tickets here: https://www.bradford-theatres.co.uk/whats-on/barnum