We never expected to hear a Michael Bublé swing version of ‘Master of the House’ but that just about sums up the musical ingenuity of The Barricade Boys. Originally formed by Les Misérables alumni Scott Garnham and Simon Schofield, who are joined by Kieran Brown and Craig Mather, the concert brings electric harmonies and slick choreography to the stage as the group perform crowd-pleasing 11 o’clock numbers, interspersed with charming anecdotes and fantastic guest stars.

Although all four Barricade Boys have starred in Les Misérables at one time or another, their vocal talent by no means stops there. We were treated to medleys of rock’n’roll, ABBA, Jersey Boys, motown, and a stunning version of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’… no mean feat!

Joining the boys onstage were the stars of the future, choirs of Stagecoach Finchley Central and Mill Hill East. Tackling ‘Revolting Children’ from Matilda with gumption, they exploded back onstage to open Act 2 with The Barricade Boys singing ‘The Greatest Show’. The energy and enthusiasm of these young stars was the wholesome content we didn’t know we needed.

Real highlights of the evening came from guest performances by Fra Fee, Courtney Bowman and Matt Henry MBE. We were blown away by the duet of ‘Empty Chairs at Empty Tables’ by Craig Mather and Fra Fee who met whilst performing in Les Misérables. The ingenuity of the harmonies, and their spell-binding ability to capture the emotional height of Les Misérables within one short ballad was hugely impressive.

Speaking of musical ingenuity, we must applaud the Musical Supervisor James Doughty whose talent seemingly knows no bounds. From conducting the fantastic band, to orchestrating the innovative musical arrangements, and even throwing in a few dance moves of his own, James really is the fifth Barricade Boy. Simon Schofield’s tap-dancing number and Kieran Brown’s powerhouse ‘Music of the Night’ were stand-out moments in what was a vocally knockout concert from start to finish.

Charming, funny, and with bundles of talent, The Barricade Boys provide guaranteed entertainment that will have you chanting ‘one show more!’.

**** Four stars

Reviewed by: Eliza Harris

To see further dates and venues where you can catch The Barricade Boys in action, please click here.