Conley shines in circus classic

BARNUM

(Palace, Manchester, to November 15)

Cameron Mackintosh has picked up the twirling baton of this much-liked circus-based show and done a number on its touring capability and overall look.


Gone are the garish colours of the original production and in come sumptuous reds and blues, while the set is now built around a couple of cast iron stairways, on which performers can sit, stand, stand on their head and wire-walk.

It’s an attractive look; expensive yet easily demountable for touring; as with Mackintosh’s previous revamps of Les Mis and Phantom, the new look works admirably.

As for the show, the update tightens the script — though it remains as flimsy as Barnum’s grasp on reality — and introduces a new element, the idea of the central title character being drawn not from pure theatre but from the world of TV and variety.

The man in question, Brian Conley, is no stranger to big musicals; he was great in “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”, holding the audience in the palm of his hand — which is pretty much the story here too.

Likeable, funny and possessing a passable (if slightly hoarse) US accent, he performs (as distinct from singing, which he doesn’t do very well) the songs, moves easily round the stage, interacts variety-style with the audience and makes it clear, unlike previous incumbents, that this is the Brian Conley show as much as it is the story of the world’s greatest flimflam man.

And yes, he walks the tightrope — with a pause for a laugh at an audience member’s expense - but foregoes the death slide from the theatre roof, and who can blame him?

The result is highly entertaining, and mixes well with the slightly more formal stance of Linzi Hateley as Barnum’s wife Charity — the stoic power behind the Barnum throne.

With good if fleeting performances from Kimberley Blake as Swedish opera singer Jenny Lynd, and highly energetic acrobatics from the cast ensemble, this is, as expected, a genuine crowd pleaser.