Barnum @ Palace Theatre, Manchester

Serving stints as a politician, writer and businessman, it is fair to say that P.T. Barnum led a busy and colourful life – but among his many ventures he is perhaps most remembered and celebrated as one of America’s greatest showmen. As well as establishing a circus (which he named 'The Greatest Show on Earth'), his sharp mind and entrepreneurial flair inspired him to exploit public desire for all things bizarre and outrageous for his own financial gain; his many profitable exhibitions ranging from a (supposedly) 161-year-old woman to Jumbo the Elephant.

Cameron Mackintosh and Michael Harrison seek to encapsulate the colour and vivacity of this superstar lifestyle in the musical Barnum, a show in which Barnum’s own life takes centre stage. The play looks at the disparity between the protagonist’s exuberant and larger than life character and that of his wife, Charity, his altogether more grounded and level-headed counterpart. In order to find true happiness the two must learn to appreciate and discover value in the traits of the other. This is as much a piece that examines opposing outlooks on the world as it is a piece about a marriage.        

While the 1981 original version of the show focused more upon the circus-style spectacles that Barnum was accredited with, Mackintosh’s production aims to look at the heart and driving force behind the bravado. And although it may attract the disdain of those who prefer their theatre a little more highbrow, Barnum’s extravaganza of singing, dancing and circus promises its audience an experience ram-packed with the kind of fun and imagination that P.T. Barnum himself would be proud of.