Barnum at the Bristol Hippodrome Review
Barnum
Bristol Hippodrome
16-27 September 2014
Reviewed by Siobhan Bridgwater
Brian Conley, you NAILED it!
What a perfect antidote to an average working day.
This is a show bursting with colour and vibrancy even before the curtain rises. It is an upbeat, fast moving riot of entertainment which kicks off with the cast mingling amongst the audience as we take our seats: juggling, somersaulting and balancing upside down in the aisles. It is a show that immediately makes you smile and whoop.
Photo by Johan Persson
Based on a true story, Phineas Taylor Barnum was a fast thinking schemer, a philanthropist, a lover of hoaxes and scams and the founder of the Barnum & Bailey Circus.
In 1871, he formed the circus that would come to be known as “The Greatest Show on Earth”. This show perfectly encapsulates that magical time. It delights the audience with all its considerable thrills and spills as you are thrust into an adaptation borne out of the irrepressible imagination of his incredible man.
Brian Conley fills the stage in this charismatic role. Linzi Hateley is pitch perfect. The stage is constantly crammed with a breath-taking array of aerial performers, dancers and acrobats. On top of that, everything from the set designs, the lighting, the costumes, and even the pyrotechnics and ticker tape explosions are guaranteed to have your eyes darting around the stage from start to finish. And prepare yourself to be enthralled by the fantastic orchestra who race through Cy Coleman’s wonderfully exuberant score includes the hits Come Follow The Band, The Colours Of My Life and There Is A Sucker Born Ev’ry Minute.
I loved being introduced to the largest elephant in the world, little Tom Thumb and Georgie Washington’s 160 year old nurse. Kimberly Blake was sensational as Jenny Lind, the exquisite “Swedish Nightingale”. And did I mention that Brian Conley was outrageously wonderful?!
Photo by Johan Persson
Last night notched up another perfect evening at Bristol’s magnificent Hippodrome theatre.
The venue is worth a visit in its own right with its sumptuous interior and beautifully decorated layers and boxes. Three tiers of historic fabulousness, opening its doors to welcome all and carefully accommodating both wheelchair users and those with a mobility disability.
This show reminds you how uplifting it is to go to the theatre. And PT Barnum teaches you a lesson or two. Dare to dream.
Rating: 5/5 
Tickets cost from £12.50 to £49.50 (plus £4 transaction fee)
Barnum is at the Bristol Hippodrome until 27 September 2014. For more information or to book tickets click here or call the box office on 0844 871 3012.
Bristol Hippodrome, St Augustine’s Parade, Bristol, BS1 4UZ | 0844 871 3012
