Review: Roll up for glorious revival of Barnum at Theatre Royal Windsor

The Romans had bread and circuses, now we have Mead and circuses providing the ultimate escapism.

Roll up for the real-life story of the greatest showman with this glorious revival of Barnum.

West End and television star Lee Mead is the dreamer – and doer – Phineas Taylor Barnum, hitting the spotlight from the off. He chats, charms and talks up the show as a fairground organ hums before the stage explodes into motion: aerialists, trapeze artists, acrobats and perambulating musicians. It’s a stunning overture.

Behind the Theatre Royal’s proscenium arch, the set is framed by a rounded arch, studded with fairground lights complete with narrow boxes on either side, each adorned with a mermaid. The name Barnum shines in red and gold.

Downstage, the showman gleefully informs us in song that ‘There Is a Sucker Born Every Minute’. And the stirring numbers line up almost as swiftly.

Dominique Planter delivers a scene-stealing turn as Joice Heth, the supposedly 160-year-old human museum exhibit, rebranded as George Washington’s nurse, with the wryly comic ‘Thank God I’m Old’. Fergus Rattigan brings charm and precision to General Tom Thumb in another showstopper, ‘Bigger Isn’t Better’.

There are also gentler moments, ‘The Colours of My Life’ slows the pace and highlights the divide between Barnum and his sensible wife, Charity (Monique Young, a starry stalwart). He wants to 'give the world a paint job’ while she yearns for the colours of the earth.

Fires, financial woes and common sense fail to rein in the impresario. Barnum presents Tom Thumb to Queen Victoria, books even bigger acts and reaches for high art in the form of Jenny Lind. Penny Ashmore’s soaring vocals do full justice to the opera star Barnum dubs ‘the Swedish Nightingale’, as she sings ‘Love Makes Such Fools of Us All’.

It seems that Barnum himself is at risk of being made a fool for love. An acrobat bends over backwards to shoot Cupid’s arrow to a painted heart, but the showman turns away.

And we know that everything’s alright again once Charity and Taylor start quarrelling again. Real love goes on – and so does the show.

Amidst all the spectacle, there is some sound relationship advice in Mark Bramble’s musical:

‘Charity Barnum, what am I going to do with you?’

‘Put up with me Taylor, like I do with you!’

There is plenty of humour and heart beyond the dazzle and the 19 multi-talented performers hold it all together beautifully.

The creative team is equally impressive. Jonathan O’Boyle directs, with choreography by Oti Mabuse and Matt Nicholson, supported by circus instructors, magic consultants and puppetry experts – though I won’t give too much away about that. Produced by the Watermill Theatre and presented by Theatre Royal Windsor's own Bill Kenwright Ltd, the show carries a strong Berkshire connection.

As a child I was lucky enough to see Michael Crawford as Barnum at the London Palladium in the first UK production. Those are some pretty big shoes to fill – not least in the clown number ‘Come Follow the Band’. Lee Mead fills them in style.

And whether clown-sized of shoe, Jumbo-large or Tom Thumb-petite, by the end we were all on our feet.

Barnum is showing at Theatre Royal Windsor until Saturday, February 7 – and touring