Barnum at the Lyceum Theatre Sheffield Review
Barnum
Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield
7 – 11 April 2015
Reviewed by Jenny Seymour
We arrived at the theatre later than we’d planned because of a city football match, but the show starts from the moment you enter the theatre, so get there early if you can! Members of the cast greet you in the foyer and start the circus acts immediately – jugglers, acrobats, hula hoops and balancing acts. Members of the audience were even joining in successfully!
So, from the moment you take your seats, you are brought into the Big Top and the stage extends through to the audience. You are also immediately taken back in time to the 1800s with the amazing costumes – colourful but also true to the age with ruffles galore.
This exhilarating musical follows the irrepressible imagination and dreams of Phineas T Barnum, America’s Greatest Showman from his times running a side show to his meeting with J A Bailey to create the partnership that brought us “The Greatest Show on Earth”. The focus for the musical is on Barnum who wants to inject the world with bold colours and excitement when compared to his more practical wife, Chairey, who would much rather settle for a world of beige and taupe tones at home. However, we soon learn that Chairey was in fact the person who made his dreams come true, from building his museum brick by brick, encouraging Barnum to seek out a deal to promote the command winning performer Jenny Lind and then later in life to running for mayor and the senate.
The sets are very well put together and changing the sets became incorporated into the performance itself, with one scene (the setting of a tea house) being created by the performers throwing plates, tables and chairs around the stage – so smoothly done. The same set is then used to create the high wire that Barnum has to walk across as he leaves his wife to join the “Swedish Nightingale”, Jenny Lind – will he, won’t he be tempted by the songstress? Will he, won’t he make it across the high wire?
Whilst Barnum is actually a Cameron Mackintosh musical, perhaps not surprisingly it isn’t the music that sticks in your mind as you are leaving the theatre, but it is the circus acts, tricks and feats. How did he turn the flame into a flower?
Stand out numbers for us were the “Thank God I’m Old”, the building of the museum “One Brick at a Time” (there was clearly a method in the way the bricks were thrown around the stage between the cast, as they finally turn around the towers to show the sign “Barnum’s Museum”), the tongue-twister introduction to the sights on display at the museum and the “Bigger isn’t Better” song by General Tom Thumb – with their very own dancing bearskin soldier on stilts and of course, the largest elephant in the world!
In terms of performances, Brian Conley was fabulous. His endearing personality shines through and you even feel sorry for him as he cheats on his wife with the Swedish nightingale. There was some of his comedic background shining through as he interacted with the audience from the moment he arrived on the stage. I also wanted to highlight Landi Oshinowo though – she plays the 160 year old Joice Heth and a blues singer in the black and white scene – what a fabulous voice! Having said that, the chorus were also very strong and produced a great sound and performed some displays of acrobatics which leave you in awe, which is not surprising when you read in the programme that their teacher was the head trainer for the Millennium Dome Show and Helen Skelton’s trainer when she had to walk the high wire for BBC’s Blue Peter.
We cannot forget the orchestra as well – superb! And, once again, fully incorporated into the set. Instead of being situated in the usual orchestra pit, the orchestra are actually centre stage above the circus performers. The brass section even start the second Act setting the scene for the song, “Follow the Band”.
A great night of entertainment from flame-throwing to high wire and acrobatics – buy a ticket this week if you can! If you already have one – prepare for a night of fun and tricks.
Please note – the theatre only has an arrangement with the Q Park car park (you get 1 hour free parking) so bear this in mind when parking, as the car park next to the Crucible is quite expensive!
There was also a bit of a queue for the Q-Park when leaving as everyone parks there for the theatre.
Rating: 4.5/5
Tickets cost from £29 to £45 (transaction fee may apply).
Barnum is at the Lyceum Theatre in Sheffield until 11 April 2015. For more information or to book tickets click here or call the box office on 0114 249 6000.
Sheffield Theatres, 55 Norfolk Street, Sheffield, S1 1DA | Box Office 0114 249 6000
