Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield until 20 June 2026
Reviewed by Lauren Fordham
5*****
The Choir of Man is created by Nic Doodson and Andrew Kay. It is a ‘jukebox’ musical, meaning that it incorporates popular songs from other writers rather than original music. It is an all-male show set in a pub called The Jungle, where a cast of characters named for their roles or characteristics sing, with their backgrounds introduced through monologues by ‘Poet’ who is played by Oluwalonimi Owoyemi.
Ben Norris’s moving monologues are like pliable putty in Owoyemi’s more than capable hands as he narrates tales of love, loss and grief. His rendition of Luther Vandross’s Dance With My Father is as powerful as it is poignant and bravely belies the ‘stiff upper lip’ men often feel that they have to put on. I wish I could have captured and recalled Norris’s monologues more specifically as I loved their melodic poetry and rhyme.
This harkens back to the musical’s association with the male-suicide-prevention organisation Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) and Ben Norris’s point that men often still don’t feel able to talk about their mental health, but that pubs, and this show, can encourage them to do so. When this reviewer was describing The Choir of Man plot to my companion, I called it ‘Andy’s Man Club (another male suicide prevention organisation) with music!
But The Choir of Man swiftly sweeps away any preconceived (perhaps pejorative) ideas or misgivings one may have about jukebox musicals like a bartender wipes away dirty glass imprints at the end of a busy shift. Because each song is not shoe-horned in around a shallow plot, but carefully chosen to represent genuine emotion that may be otherwise difficult to express or identify in real life. Not to mention that there is so much that is original about this show.
The first original thing, as unignorable as a pint of liquid landing in your lap, is Oli Townsend and Verity Sadler’s set design which transforms the stage into a vibrant, visceral bustling pub complete with beer on tap. The show is evocatively lit by Richard Dinnen to look like sun streaming through real stained glass windows, representing the idea that when things look dark there are always glimpses of light (and hope) peeping through.
The ensemble numbers would have benefited from follow spots to light each cast member, however, as it was not always clear who was singing and that distraction diluted the emotional impact somewhat.
Few other shows feature the cast singing (Red Hot Chilli Peppers’ Under The Bridge) in a urinal, either, another fantastically funny moment.
The fourth wall is not so much fractured in this show as it is destroyed, as theatregoers are invited onstage to drink and be merry from the moment they enter the auditorium.
The only criticism I have of the set, and the thing that distinguishes it from most real pubs is the lack of wheelchair access to the stage (or burly men to lift you up!) The cast do offer beer to individuals throughout the show but this diva reviewer wanted her stage moment too!
The audience participation always feels germane to the pub image, with elaborate card games and beer pong. Plus, a lucky older audience member was serenaded by the frankly gorgeous Gustav Melbardis as Maestro in a seductive, slowed-down rendition of Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream, something cheekily copied in 2019 in another aspiring jukebox musical, ‘& Juliet.’ (The Choir of Man is vastly superior, in this reviewer’s opinion, because every day in The Jungle is a sing-a-long-show.) The Choir of Man’s songs feel authentic and the audience can truly empathise with them, not least in Sam Walter’s (AKA The Romantic) passionate performance of Adele’s ‘Hello’ after the breakdown of a relationship, a totally relatable but often, for men, little-spoken-about situation.
Melbardis’ talents do not end with his singing voice, he is also an adept pianist and he is not alone – Rob Godfrey, who plays Beast, plays guitar throughout the show and Ben Mabberley’s Joker also plays a variety of stringed instruments. Oluwalonimi Owoyemi also accompanies himself on the piano when he sings ‘Dance With My Father Again.’ Actor-musicians’ skills always astound me and make for a much more absorbing performance. But every performer and creative contributes a unique and unifying thread to this beautiful tapestry of talent.
Talking of tap, tribute must be paid to the extraordinary athleticism of Jack Skelton who quietly dominates the number ‘Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover’, his magnetic moves impossible to resist.
Credit is also due to Niall Woodson, the Swing who played the Barman at this production, and his show-stopping performance of Somebody To Love. Should ‘We Will Rock You’ be re-re-revived, this reviewer thinks he’d be a shoe-in for Scaramouche and Galileo.
Freddie Huddlestone’s complex choreography with plastic cups put the Pitch Perfect movies in the shade too, how the cast coordinated themselves to such perfection is beyond the skills of this reviewer.
This show left the reviewer feeling warm, fuzzy and thoughtful. Forgive the mixing of the musical metaphors, but when it comes near you, heed the bugle call and I guarantee you’ll say, as I did, let’s have another round tonight!