West end musical Choir Man is a rip-roaring riot of a night that will have you dancing like you just don’t care
NINE MEN in a pub, singing their hearts out.
And that, in its simplest form, is the premise of Choir of Man, playing at the Arts Theatre, London.
The clues in the title, obviously, but considering all of them play an astonishing range of instruments as well, it feels more like a wonderful bar concert than a West End musical.
We’re told this is a proper pub, that’s stood the test of time.
A place to get together, where good folk sing about their lives, with no judgement, and everybody knows your name. Like Cheers on steroids, basically.
And the audience are the customers for the night – you can even order a pint on the stage – and several are handed out throughout the performance, as well as crisps catapulted into the crowd.
There’s the hard man, the romantic, the landlord, and the joker amongst the crew.
And whatever mood you’ve arrived in to watch the show, I guarantee you’ll leave with the biggest smile on your face. A bit like a trip down your local pub, in fact.
This isn’t some complicated, serious stage show punctuated by songs.
This is pure, unadulterated fun. There isn’t even much of a story line – basically blokes having a nice chat and a sing.
As long as you’re prepared for that, you can just sit back, relax, sip a pint, and take pleasure in their pure, joyful voices and happy smiling faces, which actually look genuine.
And, if you’re lucky enough (or unlucky – depending on your self-confidence), you could even get plucked out the crowd and pulled on stage for a pint, a special serenade, a dance, or just to build towers out of bar mats.
A new cast has just taken over – which may account for the sheer enthusiasm every song is tackled with.
But they looked pretty convincing – especially when you learn a little about each character, and it turns out we’re hearing the actual backstories of the real men up there.
Throughout we’re treated to an incredible array of songs – from Avicii to Adele, Bon Jovi and Guns and Roses, to 500 miles and the pina colada song.
And there’s some beautiful choral arrangements in there too, as a special treat.
It’s 90 minutes straight through, no interval – and there’s some lovely lessons to learn along the way.
So in short, go see Choir of Man – it may sound weird on paper, but in the flesh it’s a rip-roaring riot of a night that will have you dancing, smiling and waving your hands in the air like you just don’t care.
Choir of Man
★★★★★
