★★★★

“bursts with colour, energy and theatrical magic”

Follow that band to the Cambridge Arts Centre for ‘Barnum: The Circus Musical’ on its UK tour. Bursting with energy, circus spectacle and infectious charm, its more layered take on P.T. Barnum adds welcome depth to an already entertaining show.

Young Barnum is determined to make his mark, peddling a little “humbug” and a lot of ambition. While devoted wife Charity tries to keep him grounded, Barnum never stops reaching skyward – though what will be waiting when he gets there?

Mark Bramble’s book has a welcome edge, balancing showmanship with cynicism of Barnum’s ‘talents’. While it glosses over the darker realities – for example, Joyce Heth was a real enslaved African-American woman whose exploitation continued after her death – and leans into a fictional romance with Jenny Lind, this version has more bite than you might expect from a circus musical.

Cy Coleman’s toe-tapping score and Michael Stewart’s witty lyrics – vividly arranged, orchestrated and supervised by George Dyer – capture the spirit of classic Americana. From the breathless patter of ‘Museum Song’, to crowd-pleasers like ‘One Brick at a Time’, ‘Come Follow the Band’ and ‘Join the Circus’, the music has a gloriously uplifting energy – that is, until Jenny Lind’s haunting ‘Love Makes Such Fools of Us All’, filled with chromatic contrast and beauty. Musical director Ben Scott and deputy Tom Sowinski ensure the onstage orchestra delivers a vibrant, energetic sound that’s guaranteed to get toes tapping.

Jonathan O’Boyle’s inventive staging transforms the theatre into a bustling circus tent, drawing the audience straight into Barnum’s world. There’s no shortage of wow factor, with Amy Panter’s expertly choreographed circus acts delivering one visual thrill after another. Though the sheer abundance of activity can sometimes feel a little overstimulating and threatens to dilute the emotional arc, the production’s sense of wonder rarely falters. And the cherry on this jam-packed cake is the tight rope walk, completed by Barnum himself!

Oti Mabuse’s thrilling choreography, co-created with Matt Nicholson, is a real highlight. Bold, precise and packed with energy, it gives the production a welcome freshness without losing its old-school charm.

Lee Newby’s vibrant set and costume designs lean beautifully into the show’s colourful metaphors, especially the monochrome sequence bursting back into glorious technicolour. Jai Morjaria’s lighting deftly guides us through Barnum’s public persona and private reflections, while Tom Marshall’s sound design lands with impact. Adding an extra touch of theatrical magic, Significant Object’s puppet team and director Helen Foan bring Jumbo the elephant charmingly to life, though some extra height would make this giant even more impressive.

Matt Rawle brings plenty of warmth and charm to Barnum, backed by strong vocals and an impressive tightrope walk. If Rawle occasionally feels a touch understated against the production’s constant fizz, his easy charisma keeps him centre stage. Monique Young shines as Charity, delivering powerful vocals and dance work. Penny Ashmore is a standout as Jenny Lind, combining soaring soprano vocals with harp playing and pointe work to captivating effect. Dominique Planter brings warmth, wit and richness to Joyce. However, the ensemble truly deserves tonight’s ovation, not only singing, dancing and acting but playing instruments and nailing the acrobatics to boot! The company’s incredible versatility is dazzling.

‘Barnum: The Circus Musical’ bursts with colour, energy and theatrical magic. A few tweaks would elevate it further, but the extraordinarily talented cast makes it an irresistible night at the theatre.

GUYS & DOLLS at the Bridge Theatre

★★★★★

“Hytner’s production is a thrilling experience full of surprises”

Guys & Dolls has been playing at the Bridge Theatre since March 2023 in Nicholas Hytner’s reimagined production which turns the 1950s Broadway musical into full-on immersive production. Its final cast change before its announced closure in January sees Gina Beck taking over as Sarah Brown, also joined by Michael Simkins as Arvide Abernathy. They join members of the previous cast include Owain Arthur, Timmika Ramsay and Jonathan Andrew Hume, as Nathan Detroit, Miss Adelaide and Nicely-Nicely Johnson, respectively.

If you’re not familiar with the story beyond the parody in The Simpsons, it follows Nathan Detroit’s illegal floating crap game, which he hides from financée of 14 years Miss Adelaide. When Detroit places a bet with gambler Sky Masterson that he must take a woman of Detroit’s choosing to Havana, Masterson (George Ioannides) has to try and impress leader of the Save-a-Soul mission, Sarah Brown. What follows is two side-by-side relationship stories alongside visits to the Hotbox nightclub where Adelaide performs.

Hytner’s production is a thrilling experience full of surprises. Half the audience are stood on and around Bunny Christie’s set which sees stage pieces rise and fall for scenes to be played on before the action quickly moves somewhere else. The work of the stage management team in this production is a feat in itself, as they usher audiences around the moving set pieces, bringing on street lamps, staircases, and even at one moment managing to catch the underwear thrown offstage by the Hotbox dancers.

Having seen the original cast, the newcomers have a lot to live up to, and they absolutely make this show and the roles their own. Ramsay is electric as Miss Adelaide. With expansive vocals, she tears the stage apart with “A Bushel and a Peck”, in a number which is sexy, playful, and shows off a star performance. She brings great comedy to “Adelaide’s Lament” and the rapport with co-star Arthur is sharp and fiery, particularly in their second act duet “Sue Me”, which plays the line between lust and frustration to perfection.

Gina Beck follows previous leading lady roles, including Glinda in Wicked and, more recently, Maria in Chichester’s production of The Sound of Music last year. She is very held together as Sarah Brown before letting her hair down and spinning around lamp posts in “If I Were a Bell”, thanks to Arlene Phillips and James Cousin’s choreography. Her voice has gorgeous, crystal-clear operatic tones. She plays against Ioannides, who also returns to the show, and their verision of “I’ve Never Been in Love Before” is a total delight. Likewise, Simkins’ rendition of “More I Cannot Wish You”, which he sings to Beck, has a real sense of warmth and wisdom which is very touching.

The best number of the show though is saved for Nicely-Nicely Johnson, and is perhaps the best known number “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat”. Quite hilariously, the number serves very little plot purpose, other than being a distraction so the General doesn’t cotton on to schemes of the crap game players. Cedric Neal received an Olivier Award nomination for originating this role, so again big boots to fill. Hume is fantastic. His Nicely-Nicely is warm, engaging and a little bit cheeky and he looks like he’s having the absolute time of his life performing this number, which in turn lets the audience have a great time as well. The crowd cheer as he encourages the orchestra to give him an encore and the whole room gets involved clapping along.

If you’re going to revive a 70-year-old musical which is, let’s be honest, rather dated in its plot, then this is the way to do it. It never tries to say ‘this is now’ but instead unapologetically transports us to a different time altogether and gives us an evening of thorough entertainment.

Guys & Dolls plays at the Bridge until January so if you haven’t yet made it along to this 5-Star production make sure that you do. There’s nothing else quite like it!

Tag Archives: Eamonn Cox

BARNUM

★★★★

UK Tour

BARNUM

Cambridge Arts Theatre

★★★★

“bursts with colour, energy and theatrical magic”

BARNUM

Cambridge Arts Theatre then UK tour continues

Reviewed on 18th August 2026

by Hannah Bothelton

Photography by Pamela Raith

BARNUM

BARNUM

BARNUM

GUYS & DOLLS

★★★★★

Bridge Theatre

GUYS & DOLLS at the Bridge Theatre

★★★★★

“Hytner’s production is a thrilling experience full of surprises”