Review: THE CHOIR OF MAN, The Arts Theatre
Richard Davenport
Welcome to the Jungle, the West End's very own pub where everyone is welcome! Grab a pint and get ready to spend a night celebrating British pub culture and the vital community it inspires.
The Choir of Man burst onto the scene at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2017 and since 2021 it has been delighting audiences at the Arts Theatre, the West End's smallest theatre. We headed down to check out the new cast and what a joy it was to see this little show with an incredibly big heart. Written by Andrew Kay and Nic Doodson, who also directs, The Choir of Man is set in a traditional British or Irish pub. The set features a working tap from which you can get a pint on stage before the performance or you may be lucky enough to be gifted one during the show, but beware this may have some strings attached.
The Choir of Man is a jukebox musical or it could be better described as a jukebox concert... if such a thing exists. It features hits ranging from Queen and Adele to Katy Perry and The Piña Colada Song. This certainly isn’t a classical choral performance but it is an incredible ensemble of voices. The Choir of Man makes it clear that it has no real plot and instead it is a collection of pop and rock songs interchanged with monologues written by performance poet Ben Norris. The speeches move the performance along and create sleek segways into the musical numbers but follow no set story. They are full of heartwarming sentiment but are perhaps slightly too long at times especially as they are all delivered by the ‘Poet'. About half way through the show we meet each actor individually; but with nine cast members you can imagine this takes some time. However, it is also one of the features that makes The Choir of Man so unique. Of course the cast all have their monikers but beyond that they use their own names. One can imagine the joy and trepidation they must feel sharing personal elements of their lives with 350 people each night. The result is something everyone can relate too and the stories may very well bring a tear to your eye and cause you think of your own version of home.
The show is led by the charismatic Sam Ebenezer as the ‘Poet’ in the narrator type role. Beyond that this is a true ensemble piece and everyone has their role to play. Olugbenga Adelekan as the ‘Bore’ and Robert Godrey the ‘Beast’ provide buttery base tones. ‘Handyman’ Ben Goffe whizzes around the stage tap dancing Freddie Huddleston’s exuberant choreography. Michele Maria Benvenuto’s ‘Maestro’ comedy talents shines during his performance of the classic crowd pleaser ‘500 Miles’. The outstanding cast is completed by Luke Conner Hall (Romantic), Mark Irwin (Bar Man), Sam Pope (Joker) and Adam Bayjou (Hardman). The show truly shines when the men sing in unison and their harmonies arranged by Jack Blume are exquisite. The Choir of Man concludes with a beautiful acapella version of folk song ‘The Parting Glass’ which is sure to warm your heart.
In the closing moments of the show the ‘Poet’ shares a few Parish Notices. One is about their charity partnership with CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably), a brilliant addition to a show that is a love letter to human connection especially amongst men. In conjunction with the invitation to donate there is a call to promote the show and its message. This is accompanied with a reassurance that filming of the show and sharing to social media is permitted, as long as the cast sound and look good. We understand this sentiment and the desire to grow The Choir of Man family but we wish it had been better advertised as we were slightly bemused by the number of phones out during sections of the show.
The Choir of Man is like nothing else in the West End right now. It is full of heart and full of laughs and perfect if you want a night of pure theatrical joy.
**** Four Stars
Reviewed by Sophie Luck
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