Barnum

Birmingham Hippodrome until Saturday

Four Stars **** “a feast for the eyes”

Barnum lights up the Birmingham Hippodrome with a jampacked spectacle of music, magic and jawdropping acrobatics.

Pulsing with high energy from start to finish, the cast of 20 multitalented actormusicians sing, dance and play an astonishing 150 instruments with impressive teamwork and industry. Together, they chart P. T. Barnum’s showman career as it repeatedly swings from humble starts to glittering success and back again. Lee Mead brings Barnum enjoyably to life as a charismatic ringmaster, winning over the audience with his easy charm and strong, confident vocals.

That said, there are moments where the narrative feels thin, requiring the audience to leap across gaps to piece the story together. Barnum’s moral dilemmas are only briefly explored, often resolved too neatly with another heartwarming musical number, leaving certain emotional beats feeling slightly underdeveloped.

Where Barnum: The Circus Musical truly excels is in delivering on its name. The circus itself is vividly realised through Lee Newby’s impressive set design, blending the opulence of a gilded theatre with the fanfare of a bigtop tent. Oti Mabuse’s dynamic choreography, paired with Amy Panter’s inventive circus direction, creates moments of breath-taking artistry that repeatedly astonish.

If it’s spectacle, colour, and exhilaration you seek, then step right up — Barnum delivers the circus in thrilling style.

Bethany Orrell