Book: Mark Bramble
Music: Cy Coleman
Lyrics: Michael Stewart
Director: Jonathan O’Boyle
Reviewer: Christine Stanton
“Big Top, Little Story”
3 / 5
19th-century-showman P.T. Barnum helped to create the famous Barnum & Bailey Circus, collecting and displaying illusions and talent, to try and create the Greatest Show on Earth.
His story has been brought to life as a musical with Mark Brambles book, Michael Stewarts lyrics and Cy Coleman’s music – and while it’s not the greatest show on earth, it’s enjoyable enough to keep audience attention, mostly due to the impressive circus skills showcased by the ensemble. Starting his career as a museum owner, Barnum, played by Matt Rawle, took his trinkets and spectacles a step further, and created a circus, which audiences flocked to.
His star acts were, by today’s standards at least, controversial; among his most famous attractions were Joice Heth (Dominique Planter), an enslaved woman exhibited under the false claim that she was 161 years old, General Tom Thumb (Fergus Rattigan), a little person who was presented as a human curiosity, and Jumbo, an elephant purchased from London Zoo. Obsessed with “humbugs” to draw a crowd, each of his acts were the biggest/smallest/most etc, and sometimes just complete hoaxes such as his famous mermaid. His life, show, and marriage is explored across the two hour runtime, in a cliff notes style whiz through.
Despite Barnum’s story being an interesting one, it falls somewhat flat, never fully matching the spectacle of the eye-catching set (Lee Newby) or captivating the same way the acrobatic performers do. Rawle is good in the titular role, his stint on the tightrope an enjoyable addition, though the performance feels quite muted, and for such a big personality with such a colourful life, you would expect the production, and the performances to be big, bold and brilliant, whereas in it’s current iteration, they don’t have as much energy as you’d expect, or hope for. One standout moment is the introduction of Jumbo, with wonderful puppetry and brilliantly created.
The songs work well, and the cast play an impressive 150 musical instruments, to create the vaudeville style musical numbers. The real entertainment lies completely with the performers – from see-saw jumps, to rope and cyr work, their impressive artistry keeps audience attention when the storyline wanes somewhat, and the intrigue visibly dips whenever they are off-stage. For such a big top, there is very little story – less Greatest Showman, more just a great showcase of acrobatic performers.
Runs until 3rd October 2026, then continues to tour
I enjoyed it, but it felt a bit lame in parts. The Acrobats were brilliant and kept me entertained when the Story went a bit flat. A lot of audience members left during the interval. However, some of the remaining audience gave a standing ovation at the end.
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