22 July 2023 I 19:30 I Arts Theatre, London
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Before my first visit to The Jungle, I was feeling somewhat apprehensive about The Choir Of Man, particularly its style of performance and interaction with the audience. However, from the moment you walk through the doors to the Arts Theatre, there is just an incredible buzz, a general air of friendliness and joy. I don't ever think a theatre show has exceeded my expectations and surprised me more than The Choir Of Man. It made me laugh, cry, and feel so grateful to see such an honest representation of what it really means to be a 'man' in the modern day, where it is so rare to talk about in the everyday.
As you enter the initial bar space, I adore the stylings specifically for the show, with ornaments on the wall reminiscent of a pub. And before you enter the main auditorium, there is an option to purchase a Jungle Token, redeemable shortly after. Walking down the stairs to the stage space, there is a warm bustle which sounds incredibly inviting. Audience members in the stalls have the choice of either heading to their seats, or to have the opportunity to walk onstage. Here you can redeem your Jungle Token for a beer from the live bar if you wish, but not a requirement to head up and meet the cast. I chose to venture onto the stage myself, and as a drama student, this is so dazzling, to look out as audiences take their seats, and get a snippet into the life of a West End actor. Actors filter among us minutes before the show starts, which I really admire, as the relationship between performer and spectator is blurred and relaxed. Oli Townsend's scenic design steps away from perhaps your local pub, away from lairiness to bring comfort and homeliness.
Just before you enter the auditorium, there is a list of certain Jungle rules to follow, mostly along the lines that singing and filming (within reason) is permitted, which I initially couldn't see working. Although it borders on the concert style, The Choir Of Man still delivers theatrics, and there becomes a mutual respect with the performers that the audience share. Some of us are plucked from our seats to join the stage. Though I wasn't selected, it is wonderfully fun to observe, because the guys are tremendous at improvisation and humour. There is an air of humanity and genuinity, the actors simply performing as themselves, making it so easy to connect. The Arts Theatre itself is so intimate, which makes it a perfect venue for this show. Especially the closing folk song performed without microphones, utterly divine, it has to be seen to be believed!! At a swift 90 minutes, this jukebox musical encapsulates such a heartful message of finding one's home (in an internal and external sense) through a versatile mix of pop tunes, balanced evenly between celebrations of togetherness and the emotional limitations expected of men.
A personal favourite of mine is the insanely talented Luke Connor Hall (The Romantic), who's vocal range blows me away, with such tenderness and soft quality. I find Hall's character to be the most profound, exploring a really compassionate and vulnerable aspect to masculinity, as well as a representation of homosexuality which is recognised, rather than dismissed. Of all the shows I have seen in my lifetime, not one has made me cry until The Choir Of Man, with Hall's impassioned rendition of Hello. The ability to see a man presented so sensitively, and not 'performing' to us, but inhabiting this feeling, is unbelievably inspiring. This defencelessness the actors present additionally makes it, as a man, more inviting to express emotion in this theatrical setting, to see it is okay to feel this. And alongside Daniel Harnett (Joker) and Adam Bayjou (The Hardman), Under The Bridge is an absolute highlight in comedy. Who knew urinating and singing could be so hilarious?! Ben Goffe (The Handyman) steals our hearts, especially with his tap routines which I am obsessed with, the applause after these are booming! Michele Maria Benvenuto (The Maestro) and Tom Carter-Miles (The Beast) are equally joyous when it comes to lighting up a stage, their musical talents with piano and guitar respectively create heavenly underscore. Andrew J Carter's (The Bore) Teenage Dream continues to make me smile even while I write this review, and Mark Irwin's (The Barman) suave and sexy role in Pina Colada is a sure fire hit to get everyone dancing in their seats. Michael Hamway (The Poet) truly understands engagement with an audience, as it feels every narrative monologue is directed just for you.
The scripting itself features a variety of monologues, written by Ben Norris, each highlighting a different element towards the central topics. This includes mental health, finding home, or adjusting to a post-COVID world, a theme to resonate with all audiences. The show partners with the CALM charity (Campaign Against Living Miserably), defining how comforting this musical can be for a lot of us. While these dialogues are powerful, one scene features introductions where the life of every actor (not their character, but their real self) is explored. Where home is, what home means to them. To have this individual expression is unbelievably humanising, so refreshing to see behind the performer. We are introduced to the tremendous 4 man band early on, as they occasionally join the stage action, where it is really nice to see Jack Blume's orchestrations being actively recognised. And the harmonies... out of this world!!!! Verity Sadler's costume design and Freddie Huddleston's choreography simulates a sublimely natural atmosphere, without overdone glamour, relatable for those from a working class background, seeing regularity enjoyed. These stories deserve to reach even more audiences across the world.
I could give you 1000 reasons as to why Nic Doodson's The Choir Of Man is one of the most uplifting and emotionally investing powerhouses to exist on the West End. I feel so much more able to connect with this musical on an emotional level, because it challenges and redefines what our typical expectations of a man should be, which I have always been passionate about challenging. It might be seen as 'not masculine' for a man to enjoy theatre, for The Choir Of Man to reassess these values through mainstream entertainment is extremely important. There isn't a crisp flinging, instrument playing a cappella group I could adore more than this ensemble of guys. To see ordinary men perform the extraordinary makes it seem possible for anyone, and I cannot WAIT to return to the Jungle someday!!
Comments