Barnum The Circus Musical at the Festival Theatre Edinburgh****

The circus has definitely come to Edinburgh this week.

To quote PT Barnum, this show delivers a ‘cornucopia of delights’, with real circus performers, multi-talented musicians – and an elephant – sharing the top spots alongside Matt Rawle in the title role, and Monique Young as his wife.

As the Ringmaster, Eamonn Cox whips up excitement from the outset with energy and enthusiasm, and then Rawle launches into Barnum’s story, which was, at the beginning, just tricking audiences into paying for ‘the noble art of humbug’.

I’ve seen the film version The Greatest Showman so many times it was hard for me to separate the two but what stood out for me was that, in this stage version, Charity Barnum is much more critical of her husband, and I couldn’t warm to her at all. And as she took her laundry off the washing line I wondered if said line was going to double up as a tightrope for Barnum to walk on. I’ll keep you guessing, but I remember seeing Michael Crawford play Barnum in Manchester in 1984, and he was the king of stunt performers!

Penny Ashmore, however, surpasses Rebecca Ferguson as Jenny Lind (well, Ferguson didn’t even do the singing!) – a true opera star indeed, as well as a harpist. And Fergus Rattigan’s solo spot as General Tom Thumb, delivered with an endearing cheekiness, is also another highlight.

Apart from twirling aerialists who also contorted their bodies in sequences choreographed more, I suspect, by circus instructors and consultants rather than two-times winner of Strictly Come Dancing Oti Mabuse, the whole show was held together by a small but perfectly formed band of just seven musicians. At the beginning we were told that the show would feature 150 musical instruments! That statement wasn’t far wrong. I lost count of the different instruments each musician played – for example, at various times just one person played a saxophone, flute, and double bass at the same time as blowing on a kazoo. The cast also  manages to come up with a marching band and, of course, there are plenty of drum rolls.

Barnum The Circus Musical certainly wouldn’t look out of place under a Big Top!

Image: Pamela Raith Photography

Barnum The Circus Musical is at the Festival Theatre Edinburgh until Oct 10.

capitaltheatres.com

It then continues touring:

Oct 13-17: Grand Opera House Belfast

Oct 20-24: Congress Theatre Eastbourne

Oct 27-31: Malverns Theatres