The Choir Of Man (Arts Theatre, London, Personal)

 🌟 The Choir Of Man 🌟

22 July 2023 at 7:30pm at Arts Theatre, London

★★★★★

Before my first visit to The Jungle, I was feeling somewhat apprehensive about The Choir Of Man, particularly it's style of performance and interactions with audiences. However, from the moment you walk through the doors to the Arts Theatre, there is just an incredible buzz, a general air of friendliness and joy. I don't ever think a theatre show has exceeded my expectations and surprised me more than The Choir Of Man. It made me laugh, cry, and feel so grateful to see such an honest representation of what it really means to be a 'man' in the modern day, where it's so rare to talk about in the everyday.

As you enter the initial bar space, I really loved the stylings specifically for the show, with ornaments on the wall which are reminiscent of a pub atmosphere. And before you enter the main auditorium, there is an option to purchase a Jungle Token, redeemable shortly after. Walking down the stairs to the stage space, there is a warm bustle which sounds wonderfully inviting. Audience members in the stalls have the choice of either heading to their seats, or to have the opportunity to walk onstage, and redeem your Jungle Token for a beer, if you wish. I ventured onto the stage myself, and as a drama student, this is something so dazzling, to look out as audiences take their seats, and get a snippet of the life of a West End actor. Actors begin to filter among us minutes before the show starts, which I really admire, because the atmosphere turns really relaxed, and the boundaries between performer and spectator are blurred. Oli Townsend's scenic design steps away from perhaps your local pub, away from lairiness to bring comfort and homeliness. Inviting the audience onstage is a great way to further this and ease the atmosphere.

In most instances, I don't really enjoy or feel comfortable with more immersive style shows. Just before you enter the auditorium, there is a list of certain Jungle rules to follow, mostly along the lines that singing and filming (within reason) is permitted, which I initially couldn't see working. Although it borders on the concert style, it still delivers theatrics, and there becomes a mutual respect with the performers, which no member of the audience broke this night. At certain moments, some of us are plucked from our seats to join the stage. Though I wasn't selected, it was so wonderfully fun to observe, because the guys are tremendous at improvisation. This creates an air of humanity, and genuinity, as the actors simply perform as themselves, making it so easy to connect with them and their humour. The Arts Theatre itself is so intimate, which makes it a perfect venue for this show, especially a folk song performed without microphones, which was utterly divine, has to be seen to be believed!! At a swift 90 minutes, it encapsulates such a heartful message of finding one's home (in an internal and external sense) through a VERY versatile mix of famous pop songs, balanced evenly between celebrations of togetherness, and the emotional limitations society place on men.

A personal favourite of mine for the evening is the insanely talented Luke Connor Hall (The Romantic), who's vocal range blew me away, with such tenderness and soft quality. I found Hall's character to be the most profound, exploring a really compassionate and vulnerable aspect to masculinity, as well as a representation of homosexuality which is recognised, rather than dismissed. Of all the shows I have seen in my lifetime, not one has made me cry until The Choir Of Man, with Hall's impassioned rendition of 'Hello'. Just the ability to see a man presented so sensitively, and not 'performing' to us, but inhabiting this feeling, is unbelievably inspiring. This defencelessness which the actors present additionally makes it, as a man, more inviting to express emotion in this theatrical setting, to see it is 'okay' to feel this. And alongside Daniel Harnett (Joker) and Adam Bayjou (The Hardman), Under The Bridge is an absolute highlight in comedy. Who knew urinating could be so hilarious?! Ben Goffe (The Handyman) stole all our hearts, especially with his tap routines which I am obsessed with, the applause after these dances are booming! Michele Maria Benvenuto (The Maestro) and Tom Carter-Miles (The Beast) are equally joyous when it comes to lighting up a stage, their musical talents with piano and guitar respectively create such heavenly underscore. Andrew J Carter's (The Bore) 'Teenage Dream' continues to make me smile even while I write this review, and Mark Irwin's (The Barman) suave and sexy role in the 'Pina Colada' song is a sure fire hit to get everyone dancing in their seats. Michael Hamway (The Poet) truly understands engagement with an audience, as it feels every narrative monologue is directed just for you.

The scripting itself features a variety of monologues, written by Ben Norris, each which highlight a different element towards the central topics of mental health, finding home, or adjusting to a post-COVID world, where at least one of these themes will resonate with you. As the show partners with the CALM charity (Campaign Against Living Miserably), these poignant moments define how comforting this musical can be for a lot of us. While these dialogues are powerful, one scene in the show features a moment where the life of every actor (not their character, but their real selves) is explored. Where home is, what home means to them. To have this individual expression was unbelievably humanising, so refreshing to see behind the performer. We are introduced to the tremendous 4 man band early in the show, as they occasionally join the stage action, where it is really nice to see Jack Blume's orchestrations being properly recognised. And the harmonies... out of this world!!!! Verity Sadler's costume design and Freddie Huddleston's choreography simulates the perfect natural bar atmosphere, without overdone glamour, which is especially relatable from those with a working class background, seeing simple regularity enjoyed. It is truly inspiring to see the show's success originating from Fringes to landing a beloved West End venue, it deserves to reach even more audiences across the world.

I could give you 1000 reasons as to why Nic Doodson's The Choir Of Man is one of the most uplifting and emotionally investing powerhouses to exist on the West End. That might take to long though, so I'll summarize! I feel so much more able to connect with this musical on an emotional level, because it challenges and redefines what our typical expectations of a 'man' should be, which has always been something I have wanted to break the stereotypes of. It might be seen as 'not masculine' for a man to enjoy theatre, so for The Choir Of Man to reassess these values through mainstream entertainment is extremely important. There isn't a crisp flinging, instrument playing a cappella group I could adore more than this ensemble of guys. To see 'ordinary men' perform the extraordinary makes it seem possible for anyone, and I cannot WAIT to return to the Jungle someday!! 

You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram @jackdavxy