Manchester Theatre News & Reviews

REVIEW - The Choir Of Man is a triumph of talent that embraces everyone as family!

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We were invited to the Opera House in Manchester to see The Choir Of Man. Read what our reviewer Karen Ryder had to say about this fantastic night at the theatre...

Wow! What a show! Going back to work after a long bank holiday weekend is not always the easiest, but when you end your day with the smash hit show The Choir Of Man, you can be forgiven for thinking you’re still on your jollies and having the best celebration ever! I have been looking forward to this show for so long and I was not disappointed. As you are welcomed into the theatre by a cast of new friends, you immediately absorb the positivity bouncing around and feel like you have come home. You have the opportunity to go up on the stage ad be absorbed into the world of this pub known as The Jungle, where you can mingle with audience members and the cast themselves. It creates a unique and exciting atmosphere from the off, and as a theatre nerd I was personally bouncing that I was stood on the Manchester Opera House stage, looking out into the brimming audience. What an experience in itself! Making its own rules, this high energy, feel good production nestles nicely between being a musical, a gig, and a friendly pub, always ready with a song for every occasion. It is all of the above yet it is none of the above, entirely its own breed of fabulousness. With a charming ensemble belting out incredible harmonies of an eclectic mix of banging tunes, there really is something for everyone. Add into that poetry, philosophy, tap dancing, musicians, jokes, and the most uplifting singing, and a safe space is captured in which difficult issues can be approached through the comforts of friendship that encourage us to be vulnerable with each other. No one ever thinks it will be them needing help. Until it is. And so this show interweaves the hidden and personal conversations alongside comradery, beer, and bloomin’ good music, showing just how powerful, strong, and life saving talking can be.

The Choir Of Man introduces us to a cast full of personality, unique skills, and epic talent. As you are welcomed into The Jungle - the best singing pub ever – it is immediately clear that this show does things its own way. It has a working bar on stage where audience members can go and swap their tokens (bought at the theatre’s actual bar) for a fresh pint on stage, interact with the cast, and perhaps even have the cast pop into the audience and bring you a bevvy or two! Beer mats and crisps are also flung out into the audience just for fun. You will then be beguiled with rousing songs, worldclass wordsmiths, sensational instrumentalists, and off the scale dancing. The Choir Of Man is brewed to perfection. The over riding vibe is of friendship and connectivity, and even the audience were happily chatting with strangers with ease and no discomfort, just happiness and relaxation. That is a gift, and one I hope we can all carry forward long after the show has finished. What gives the sense of community being offered authenticity, is the cast themselves, clearly in tune with each other and fully alive with the joy of the show. The enthusiasm is palpable, real and raw and you are never kept on the outside of it but offered it as your own from the moment you step foot in the theatre. It gave me a similar feeling to when theatres were reopened again after the pandemic lockdown, and that sheer and genuine appreciation of what we have without taking it for granted. Yes, this is a rehearsed show, but there is also a purity and genuine interaction with new audience members every single performance, keeping this cast fresh, real and honest.

The collection of characters consists of archetypal roles that give us a cross section of The Jungle’s community. Oluwalonimi (Nimi) Owoyemi is the Poet and our narrator and guide. He does an incredible job of engaging us to listen to his stories and messages amongst all the fun, and delivers them with such authenticity, charm, and warmth that you are more than happy to be led through this new world by him. Rob Godfrey is the Beast and is often found beautifully strumming away at his guitar, even serenading an audience member with a cheeky charm and twinkly sparkle of mischief in his eye. Niall Woodson was our Barman tonight, and belted out some incredible songs with vocals that killed it, all the while ensuring everyone was kept topped up with drinks. Ben Mabberley is the Joker, always ready to wind someone up with loving fun, and really took his moment to shine with brilliant energy as he bounded around the tables. Gustav Melbardis is the Maestro and has such high octane energy that its contagious. He led many a song on piano, had a huge personality and brought the house down time and time again. Aaron Pottenger is the Bore and was anything but. A stunning voice, he also brought us humour and somehow managed to sing a beautiful ballad, whilst interacting with an audience member, whilst trying to build a stacked house of cards! Talk about multi-tasking! Jack Skelton is the Handyman and seemed to be everywhere all at once, singing, dancing, playing instruments, handing pints out to audience members, and providing incredible harmonies. Oh yes, and he tap danced the heck off that stage! What a dancer and it was brilliant to watch. Levi Tyrell Johnson is the Hard man yet was still able to open up and show us his caring, sensitive side which felt like a really important message and theme of the show. He had a great solo with a voice that was raw and incredible. Sam Walter is the Romantic, full of charm, love, yet a deep hurt lingering underneath as he pretends he’s ok when he isn’t, and we see this come out in song, a brilliant moment as the rest of the pub watch the football match, choreographed beautifully to song, blissfully unaware of the pain and anguish he is going through. A final shout out to Sam Ebenezer, swing and music captain, who came on stage at the end for a very special moment to conduct and lead several Manchester choirs who were situated throughout the audience, as they joined the cast in singing ‘Chandelier’ acapella. This was a stunning moment and one he led into our memories.

Directed by Nic Doodson, each performer has been allowed to play out their strengths and rejoice in their individual talents. The show is structured and framed around the individuals, with monologue writer Ben Norris really using their own experiences to offer us genuine and profound insights. This is ever present in the section when Nimi leads us through a monologue about home and what it means to each cast member, and with a couple of Manchester and Northern performers in tonights cast, it really packed a heartfelt punch. The performers use their own names too, making the connection even more honest, and the whole creative team have combined to basically demolish the theatre’s fourth wall and give us an honest access to the show in a way that doesn’t exist anywhere else. You will hear well known songs given a new lease of life by music supervisor and orchestrator Jack Blume, and perhaps even make you fall head over heels in love with songs that in their original form just made you feel “eh, it’s ok.” There really is something for everyone with music ranging from Queen to Guns N’ Roses, Adele, Sia, Avicii, Katy Perry, Paul Simon and Luther Vandross. Everyone will of course have their favourite moments, and each song comes with its own merit. ‘Teenage Dream’ and ‘Chandelier’ reinvent the songs into stunning new arrangements and truly show off the amazing harmonies on display. ‘500 Miles’ starts out in the same vein, totally new, before breaking into an audience bouncing, theatre shaking party! Then there are the others that bring the house down with an electric party atmosphere and make you forget all your woes and just live in the moment, bringing the theatre together as one such as ‘Escape (The Pina Colada Song)’, ‘500 Miles’, ‘Some Nights’. The choreography with pint glasses in ‘Some Nights’ is genius! Watch out for that one!

Other songs will no doubt hold personal meaning to many people, and for me ‘The Impossible Dream’, and ‘You’re The Voice’ fit this category, and held my heart in their hands. But the one song that is still floating around my heart is the one song I didn’t actually know – ‘The Parting Glass.’ This is a hauntingly beautiful, bittersweet, and fitting end to the show, giving everyone time to reflect on loved ones or friends no longer in our lives. The Choir Of Man is without doubt a show like no other and for all the high energy, fun filled frolics, it has a huge heart bursting with the value and importance of friendship, connection, and awareness. The Choir Of Man is a triumph of talent that embraces everyone as family. It has one arm raised high to clunk your pint with a rousing ‘cheers’ and the other firmly around your shoulders reassuring you that there is always hope. This show isn’t trying to be like anything else. It follows its own path. So don’t expect a typical musical. Don’t expect deep character development or a story full of plot twists. That’s not what it is or claims to be. The Choir Of Man is an experience. It is a pint pot brimming with joy and happiness. It is 9 performers on stage working their magic to give you a good night out and rejoice in friendship. And that, my friend, is worth drinking to. Cheers!