Lee Mead brings glitz, glamour and death-defying stunts as Barnum's circus comes to Birmingham

It seems almost implausible, doesn’t it? A consummate American showman who revels in his reputation as a master of ‘humbug’, specialising in hoaxes and tacky popular entertainment, decides in later life to enter the world of politics, eventually finding himself elected to high office in the United States. You certainly couldn’t imagine that happening today, could you?

Billed as ‘The Circus Musical’, Barnum does exactly what it says on the tin. It opens with a high-energy display of brash jaunty music, acrobats and trapeze artists, setting the scene perfectly for what is to follow.

The title role of P T Barnum is played with some aplomb by Lee Mead, that rare beast of a former television reality-show winner who has gone on to enjoy an enduring career. Mead puts in a larger-than-life performance as the 19th century impresario, singing and dancing his way through the performance with considerable swagger, culminating in a rather impressive tightrope walk.

The real stars, though, are the background performers, the acrobats, trapeze artists, and aerial dancers who leave you with your heart in your mouth and marvelling at their strength and skill, helped by striking choreography from ex-Strictly Come Dancing professional Oti Mabuse. The 20-strong cast play a total of 150 different musical instruments throughout the performance, and special mention must go to Jumbo, ‘the Magician’s Elephant’, who stole the show in the second half.

Barnum is more of a spectacle than a biography, there is very little insight into what made him tick, his business dealings, his political work, his philosophy or his philanthropy. Just two-and-a-half hours of remarkable stunts, high-energy dance routines, glittery costumes and upbeat songs, the Great American Circus in all its star-spangled garish gaudiness.

It’s probably what he would have wanted.

And maybe, with tensions rising once more in the Middle East, continued fighting in Ukraine, and the prolonged fall-out from the Mandelson scandal at home, a bit of easy-watching, unchallenging escapism is what we all need. No introspection, no moral message, just bright lights, bright colours and a few moments of wonder.

A feelgood musical for feel-worried times.

*Barnum runs at Birmingham Hippodrome until Saturday (April 25), with nightly performances at 7.30pm, and matinees today (Wednesday), tomorrow and Saturday.