Phineas Taylor Barnum was the original ‘Greatest Showman on Earth’. He brazenly and unashamedly used ‘flim flam’ and humbug to entertain and occasionally hoodwink the general public in the 19th Century both in his time as a Circus impresario and as a politician. His philosophy was to ‘hook your attractions to the mood of the country’.Since then he has had many impersonators that have taken that idea to heart though now his style seems to have become more commonly known as ‘fake news’. However Barnum’s personal drive was never to trick or pull apart society. He was always filled with hope and optimism, looking to make a better, fairer and happier America.
Cy Coleman and Michael Stewart certainly pick up that ethos with a memorable feel-good score including ‘Come Follow the Band’ and ‘There is a Sucker Born Every Minute’.
But the strength of any production rests on who plays Barnum himself. The real life figure was a charismatic, charming, ‘never stopping for a moment’ Gargantuan and it requires physical and emotional virtuosity to give the piece not only its spectacle but also its soul. Barnum is a man with both the biggest of ambitions and the warmest of spirits.
Marcus Brigstocke gallantly throws himself into the role and daringly plays Barnum as more tentative figure then we’re used to, even making a feature of his inability to walk the high wire, a show stealing moment for previous actors in the role. It’s an interesting interpretation that perhaps foreshadows some of the disappointments of his later life.
Laura Pitt-Pulford breathes three dimensional life into Chairy Barnum, full of love and sparkle for her colourful dreamer of a husband balanced against her desperation for a safe life where everything needs to be ‘Black and White’. However it is the ensemble that really draws your eye time and time again. From their parlour tricks before the show even begins through their tumbling, juggling, flashes of magic and gravity defying partner acrobatics to their sheer energy that they give to their characters is a joy to watch.
Special mention has to go to Harry Francis as a superb but all too brief Tom Thumb and Dominic Owen as an engaging if entertainingly deranged Ringmaster. They are all very ably choreographed by Rebecca Howell and Scott Maidment and fit effortlessly in an apt tent of a set by Paul Farnsworth.
We live in a Circus of a world at the moment filled with hoaxers and chancers and Barnum seems such a timely education to what can be achieved when the best of intentions are in place.
Unfortunately without the right showman at its core, we are left with a disappointing taste in what is so close to being a feast of delights.
Sinners Club by Lucy Rivers is an expertly judged, passionate piece of gig-theatre.