Direct from the West End, the Olivier-nominated ‘The Choir of Man’ is a deeply human piece that explores pub culture, serving as a love letter to the local British pub – the friends we meet, the laughter we share over pints and the community spirit that grows in our home away from home.
Serving up hits from artists such as Queen, Luther Vandross, Paul Simon, Adele, Guns and Roses, Avici, Katy Perry and so much more, this is a pub like no other.
There is a real community spirit to this performance where you are able to see just how much love and respect has gone into the creation of these characters.
Oluwalonimi (Nimi) Owoyemi acts as the Poet, the show’s main narrator, who does a beautiful job in introducing us to all these 9 different personalities within the pub and portrays how it acts as a home and community for everyone just beautifully.
His rendition of ‘Dance With My Father’ (originally by Luther Vandross) is a standout moment. You are just able to feel the weight of his emotion behind this song and how much his character gets out of it by being able to come, escape and relax in the community of the pub.
As the Romantic, Sam Walter’s emotional rendition of Adele’s ‘Hello’ is simply breath-taking, with all of the other performers acting as a choral voice behind him which just creates the most beautiful sound for the listening ear.
Additionally, the acapella rendition of Sia’s ‘Chandelier’ at the end of Act One and the inclusion of the folk song ‘The Parting Glass’ at the end of Act Two are both beautiful moments of connection and community. It demonstrated how these performers voices blend so seamlessly to create something really magical on stage – a pure genius display of vocal talent and effectively reinforces this idea of how they all move as one.
Whilst every member of this ensemble brings something different to this performance, the piece is more about the community aspect which it fosters between, not just the actors on stage but the inclusion of the audience itself.
Throughout the performance, certain audience members are invited onto stage – with Lewis Dragisic’s rendition of ‘Teenage Dream’ as ‘The Beast’ being this light-hearted moment of audience interaction whereby he invites an audience onstage and serenades them. It’s a true of embodiment of how that community spirit that is fostered in the pub is extended towards the audience.
The audience interaction doesn’t stop there – with audience members being brought up onto stage in funny moments such as during Joshua Lloyd’s rendition of ‘Escape (The Piña Colada Song)’ and Gustav Melbardis’ rendition of ‘500 Miles’).
Additionally, the audience are invited onstage to the onstage bar – which is open pre-show and during the interval. This is a big selling point in what makes this show even more immersive as you are able to get up close and personal with the set and feel that community aspect even more.
This doesn’t stop there as the performers are running around the place – handing out free pints to the audience and even throwing Walker’s crips to them in the finale.
We were even treated to a special acapella performance of Sia’s ‘Chandelier’ between the actors on stage and a collection of local choirs’ – a really beautiful moment that ended the night off on a high!
The Choir of Man’ is such a touching and heartfelt show which has something for everyone, guaranteeing a great feel-good night out at the theatre.
Nic Doodson has managed to create something really special with this production in reminding us of the importance of community and how we feel this immense joy when we are in the same place at the same time as the people that we love,
Bring tomorrow on, as you are welcomed into the Jungle with open arms and make sure you book tickets to see ‘The Choir of Man’ at the Lowry before it ends its run at the Lowry on Saturday October 17 here.
I rate it 4/5 stars.
