Barnum to tour again
- Paul Genty
- 3 minutes ago
- 1 min read
Classic circus musical Barnum - the show that made UK comedy actor Michael Crawford a stage musicals star - is to have a major new UK tour next year.
The Bill Kenwright Productions tour will open in Windsor in February and in can be seen in our region at the Manchester Palace (February 10-14) and the Grand Opera House in York (February 24-28), with more dates to be announced.
Starring as showman extraordinare PT Barnum will be West End favourite Lee Mead, who famously started his musicals career as Joseph (of Technicolor Dreamcoat fame) after winning TV select-a-star show Any Dream Will Do. He has since starred in Wicked and Legally Blonde, among others.
Barnum the musical first took the UK by storm at the London Palladium, with Michael Crawford making theatrical history with a death-defying nightly tightrope walk across the stage - a feat he repeated when the show reopened Manchester's Opera House in 1984 for almost five months.
Chairwoman at Bill Kenwright Ltd, Jenny Seagrove, said: “I was captivated by Barnum at the Watermill Theatre last year and knew immediately this was a show I wanted to bring to audiences across the country.
"Our spectacular new staging will feature an extraordinary ensemble cast of over 20 actor-musicians playing 150 instruments, acrobats and amazing international circus acts led by the wonderful Lee Mead playing the title role.”
More info and tickets here