Choir of Man has seen The Arts theatre turn into The Jungle Pub and become the audiences local for the night. The audience are invited into the pub where we spend an evening with a group of guys who happen to make up the pub choir. Through the medium of song and monologue we learn about each individual, their friendships and by the end of the night the audience leave feeling that not only do they know each person on stage but that the group of men performing each night that they are genuinely friends with each and every other performer on stage.

The cast are all named after a personality trait so we have ‘The Hardman,’ The Romantic,’ ‘The Maestro,’ ‘The Poet’ and ‘The Joker’ to name a few. This is an inspired idea as it allows the audience to connect with something about them very quickly and instantly means that there are characteristics we recognise in our own friendship groups on stage. However whilst these descriptions are very two dimensional as the show progresses we learn more about each of them, culminating in a segment about home where you learn a bit more about the real person behind the character, something that changes depending on who is playing that role that night. This show therefore does something very unique and fuses the real person with the character on stage and it succeeds in establishing the feeling that they are real life people that the audience are having a drink with. It also ensures that every time you see the show it feels fresh with different casts bringing different elements to each character.

The poet has the majority of the monologues throughout the show and this was played by Sam Ebenezer. The monologues were written by Ben Norris and range from insightful to fun but always getting the vibe of the piece spot on. Within the monologues Choir of Man also has a subtle touch of social commentary with encouraging guys to express their emotions and a key theme of the show is male friendship and support for each other. It is wonderful to see a show embrace this theme and unashamedly promote male friendship in a healthy manner.

Ebenezer’s easy manner and charm reels the audience in swiftly and makes then feel at ease instantly. Ben Goffe plays the Handyman and his tap routine is one of the highlights of the show, showing off his nimble feet as well as his strong vocals and harmonies throughout the show. Michele Maria Benvenuto played the Maestro and his energy throughout the show was utterly infectious. I could easily wax lyrical about all 9 members of the cast and sign their individual praises as well as the 4 band members who are an integral part of the show.

The song choices are well thought out and hugely varied. Within the show there is everything from Adele to Guns N Roses with a bit of Queen, Sia and Luther Vandross thrown in for good measure. The cast someone sound just as good singing rock songs as they do folk songs. The song arrangements are by Jack Blume and they really make the most out of the male voices on stage. The tempo is varied with the up beat numbers giving the cast a chance to show that they can not only sing but also dance. A stomp style number complete with beer glasses whipped the audience into a frenzy, another highlight of the show. The more moving numbers are beautifully delivered and to go from handing out beer to the audience to being able to hear a pin drop in the more tender moments is an impressive accomplishment. Not only are the cast singing and in some cases dancing throughout the show but at other moments they also pick up instruments at a drop of a hat, just showing how multi talented they all are.

Choir of Man on the surface is an enjoyable show, with talented performers singing songs in wonderful harmony but layered beneath this is a show with an important theme which reels the audience in and you end up feeling like you’ve spent a night in the pub with your closest friends putting the world to rights.

Choir of Man is currently booking until September 2024. You can find out more and book tickets here.

If you like the review for Choir of Man you might also like my review of Unfortunate, Six and Two Strangers Carry A Cake Across New York.