3rd – 7th March 2026
Barnum arrives at Theatre Royal Brighton this week with a bang. This circus musical is a big, busy spectacle, led by a fantastic Lee Mead, and feels like an old fashioned night out at the theatre.
The show tells the story of American showman PT Barnum, a man who builds an entertainment empire out of sheer nerve, quick thinking and a willingness to bend the truth. The musical follows his climb from sideshows and curiosities to full blown circus fame. Running alongside the razzle dazzle is his marriage to Charity, whose steady values often clash with Barnum’s restless ambition. Their relationship gives the musical its heart and stops it becoming just a parade of tricks.
This touring production makes clever use of the space at Theatre Royal Brighton with its talented performers popping up all over the stage. The ensemble of actor musicians is a real asset. There are more than 20 of them and between them they play what feels like every instrument going. One minute someone is part of a dance routine, the next they have a trumpet or clarinet in hand. It keeps the storytelling fluid and sounds brilliant.
At the centre of the show is Lee Mead and he is one of the big reasons this production works as well as it does. Mead has long since moved on from his television breakthrough on Any Dream Will Do, carving out a solid stage and TV career. He looks completely at home as Barnum. He plays him as a man who genuinely believes in what he is selling, even when it is clear he is skating on thin ice. There is charm, certainly, but also a hint of steely determination.
Vocally, Mead is in excellent form. Colours of My Life is delivered with real feeling, first as a bright statement of intent and later with more weight behind it as Barnum’s choices catch up with him. Join the Circus has the audience tapping along, and Come Follow the Band becomes a running invitation that is hard to resist. Mead knows how to work a crowd without overdoing it and there is an easy confidence about him that really suits the role.
Of course, Barnum would not be Barnum without the tightrope. When the show first played the London Palladium, Michael Crawford made headlines with his nightly walk across the stage. Here in Brighton, due to an ankle injury, Mead was unable to walk the tightrope. With a physically demanding show like this, these things happen and the audience were very understanding.
The circus elements are threaded through the action rather than bolted on. Acrobats spin overhead, performers tumble and balance with apparent ease and there are several genuine gasps from the audience who cheered and applauded every feat. Importantly, it never feels like the story has been paused to allow for a trick. Instead, the acts underline Barnum’s hunger to give people something new and unexpected.
Charity, played beautifully by Monique Young, is given depth too. Her solos, including Love Makes Such Fools of Us All, are handled with warmth and restraint. The tension between her desire for a settled family life and Barnum’s endless schemes is played honestly. Their scenes together provide a welcome contrast to the larger ensemble numbers and remind us that behind the grand gestures is a marriage being tested.
The score by Cy Coleman, with lyrics by Michael Stewart and book by Mark Bramble, stands up well. It has a slightly old school Broadway feel, full of strong melodies and clear storytelling. The band, visible and very much part of the action, gives it plenty of drive without drowning out the cast.
What makes this production satisfying is that it allows Barnum to be both impressive and infuriating. He is a dreamer but he is also a man who cuts corners. The show does not shy away from that. By the time the full company gathers for the finale, urging us once more to come follow the band, there is a sense that we have seen not just a spectacle but the portrait of a complicated man.
Barnum at Theatre Royal Brighton is a confident and thoroughly entertaining spectacle. With Lee Mead firmly in command and circus acts that are genuinely amazing, it proves that sometimes a big, unabashed musical is exactly what is needed.
Barnum review – 4 stars
Photo credit: Pamela Raith
The Brighton Bucket List 