Barnum to be revived at Menier Chocolate Factory this November
The Tony Award-winning musical Barnum is to be revived in London this November at the Menier Chocolate Factory.
Barnum, which has music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Michael Steward and a book by Mark Bramble, tells the story of PT Barnum, known as the greatest showman on Earth. The biographical show combines musical theatre with circus to tell the story of the showbiz legend.
The musical features well-known tunes such as "The Colors of My Life", "Come Follow the Band", "The Prince of Humbug" and "Join the Circus".
The revival will be directed by Gordon Greenberg (Guys and Dolls), and runs at the Menier Chocolate Factory from 18th November to 3rd March.
Barnum originally opened on Broadway in 1980 at the St James Theatre, with direction and choreography by Joe Layton. It starred Jim Dale as PT Barnum, and Glenn Close as Charity Banum. Dale won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical, one of the show's three Tony Award wins.
The show ran in the West End at the London Palladium from June 1981, and starred Michael Crawford and Deborah Grant. Crawford won the 1981 Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his role in the show. It was revived at the Dominion Theatre in 1992 starring Paul Nicholas.
In more recent times, the show has been revived at Chichester Festival Theatre in 2013, and embarked on a UK tour the following year.
Barnum will run at the Menier Chocolate Factory following the musical adaptation of Sue Townsend's novel The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, and Florian Zeller's new play The Lie.
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