Barnum
Rating: ★★
Venue: New Wimbledon Theatre, London

Matt Rawle (Cabaret, Evita, Les Misérables) will take centre stage as the legendary 19th century showman P.T. Barnum. This spectacular production directed by Jonathan O’Boyle and choreographed by Oti Mabuse will feature an extraordinary ensemble cast of over 20 actor-musicians, acrobats and amazing circus acts. Audiences are certain to delight at every sight, wonder and miracle that the name Barnum stands for!

It quickly became clear why there had been so many offers and discounts available to see this show, with listings posted on multiple seat filler sites. I was not the only audience member to leave at the interval and, to quote someone else who did the same ‘we’re going home, this is terrible'. 

Typically, I try to keep reviews balanced and unbiased even if I didn't enjoy the show or thought it was of low quality. However that won't be possible this time. This show was clearly made with a very specific demographic in mind, and it is not any of the ones that Stage to Page represent.

Firstly, most of the seats for access patrons (extra legroom, aisle seats, wheelchair spaces) only offer restricted view. I was missing about a third of the stage. This run also did not offer a single assisted performance, which is a shame for any production but especially one that uses disabled people as part of the plot itself.

In this regard, the term ‘freak’ was used to refer to people of short stature multiple times, in a variety of contexts both positive and negative. Given the progression since the original script premiered over 40 years ago one would like to think that we might have updated this terminology, or at least included more of a conversation about less offensive alternatives.

The entire audience was referred to as ‘ladies and gentlemen' no less than TWELVE times in act one alone. While I understand that this is the phrase commonly used in circus spaces, it is now 2026 and such frequent use of gendered language cannot be excused as anything other than consciously exclusive.

As for the content itself, unfortunately the choreography was lacklustre despite such a big name being credited for this work, and the acrobatics were only more impressive due to their irregularity. 

I can't say that any of the score by Cy Coleman or its accompanying lyrics by Michael Stewart were particularly captivating, however it is apt to know that all 3 lead creatives of the source material were all men, as so much of the dialogue was misogynistic and outdated, despite the story attempting to focus on dismantling sexism. 

The cast themselves were brilliant, and I could not fault their costumes either. The designers have done well with the space they have and everything runs functionally enough. 

If you are looking for a circus spectacular, I would advise checking real rings near you, or if it's a musical you're after, there are so many excellent options across the UK to choose from.

You can book tickets to Barnum here.

Review by Katie