New Wimbledon Theatre, London.
19 March 2026.
Choir of Man, by creators Andrew Kay and Nic Doodson, might well be unbeatable for its welcoming ambience. The working onstage bar with the audience invited up on to it to have a drink, sit around and chat, and mingle with cast members was the sight that awaited people upon entering the auditorium.
The men in this old-fashioned pub musical had the wonderful – perhaps rare nowadays – luxury of belonging here, at the end of their different days, they could just meet up for a drink and be accepted as part of the community. That’s the crux of the musical; simple yet it works.
The Poet, played by Oluwalonimi Owoyemi held the group together, introducing and elaborating on the personalities and backgrounds of all the men like a narrator. The men each had their moment to sing – recognisable pop songs mainly – which added detail to their character or stage of life. Possibly with Niall Woodson stealing the show a little with a tap dance in lieu of a song. Great rhythmical addition to the music and great balance and courage as he leapt and slid from table to bar.
The men were all accomplished singers and musicians. Some great harmony, and visual entertainment too as hand drums, an accordion, trumpet, banjo and the onstage central piano were utilised. It was also really refreshing to listen to the depth of a male-only chorus; vocally arranged and orchestrated by Jack Blume.
Cleverly choreographed theatre – by Freddie Huddleston – had members of the audience as part of the ensemble, as unsuspecting main players suddenly serenaded in the spotlight, and as casual extras in the bar. They were on stage when needed – for example, the chorus of “Living on a Prayer” was just crying out for an enthusiastic crowd to air punch and sing along to it – and they were seamlessly shepherded off it at the appropriate times.
Under complete control of the onstage actors but looking fresh and spontaneous. For example, a joyful audience member took a walk along the bar and was calmly escorted off by Joshua Lloyd as the pub barman, who in shirt and braces was both endearing and commanding in his role. Others stood in front of the treads preventing any more joining or leaving the stage, until the timing was right. Smartly rehearsed details that made for smooth effective running.
I really enjoyed the physical comedy, but also the slightly deeper undertone (is anyone really listening?) as one of the men sang soulfully, whilst the others were physically around him, singing too, but fully invested in the (imaginary) football game on the screen, leaping up at a goal attempt at a highlight in the music.
A definite crowd-pleaser was the urinal scene – men standing behind a screen, their ‘stream’ visible at the bottom of the screen. They sang “Under the Bridge” with lots of comedic gestures and nods that made this a really fun moment. Extra touches: free pints were carried into the audience by the cast, crisps catapulted out and there was a continually broken fourth wall, again which worked.
The accessibility of the production was easy: popular songs, a familiar even nostalgic setting, and relaxed and amenable characters, all different and therefore offering affinity to different people, too. Maybe it hit differently for men and women watching, but the comedy and touching elements were so relatable and inclusive, it didn’t really cross my mind.
With prior knowledge of the lack of storyline, I wasn’t looking for one. Having said that, we did reach the end of Act II and it felt a little empty that there was no conclusion. It would have been quite easy to have laced a narrative through, but then it worked as a visual musical spectacle by itself.
Happy audience and excellently entertaining evening.
By Louise Ryrie of Dance Informa.
