Barnum

Phineas Taylor Barnum was born in Connecticut in 1810, and over the course of his life flitted between showbusiness and politics – supposedly coining the adage “There’s a sucker born every minute” along the way. In 1980, Mark Bramble (book), Michael Stewart (lyrics) & Cy Coleman (music) thought this was ideal fodder for a stage show – and so the musical Barnum was born. The Watermill Theatre’s 2024 actor-musician revival production (starring Lee Mead) is currently touring the UK; this week the circus has come to Richmond Theatre. The show covers events from 1835 to 1880, from Barnum’s humble beginnings with Joice Heth (“the oldest woman alive”) and his museum of various attractions, to touring with the “Swedish Nightingale” Jenny Lind and running for Mayor of Bridgeport – nearly always supported by his beloved wife Charity. It takes a bit of a leaf out of Cabaret‘s book structure-wise by bringing the story to the circus (and the circus to the story), which feels like the most apt way…