A review by Shahnaz 'Shiny' Hussain.

I first saw Barnum in 1981 at the London Palladium with the wonderful Michael Crawford. It was one of the most spectacular musicals I had seen and remains a show that holds a special place in my memory, so this new production certainly had a hard act to follow; however, it had a lot of its own magic.

From the moment it begins, the stage is transformed into a wonderfully atmospheric vaudeville-style set, rich colours, subdued marquee lighting and clever use of shadows that make you feel as though you are sitting inside a circus tent. The design and lighting combine to create a beautifully theatrical world.

And there is an extraordinary amount happening on stage. The cast are multi talented actor/musicians/dancers, often doing several things at once. Alongside alongside circus performers, aerialists, acrobats, tumblers, contortionists, fire performers and magic, all woven cleverly into the action.

The aerial work is particularly imaginative, with performers sometimes suspended above the action below, almost interpreting the story through movement. It is visually stunning and beautifully choreographed.

Then there is Jumbo the elephant - a wonderful piece of giant puppetry. The detail is remarkable, from the movement of his ears to his wonderfully convincing trumpeting. It is one of those special theatrical moments.

The live music is another highlight. Led by Kevin Oliver Jones, there is a rich and varied sound with every brass, woodwind, string, and percussion instrument you can think of. I couldn’t count just how many there were, and many of the musicians played several instruments; it was mind-boggling.

There are some excellent individual performances too. Penny Ashmore is particularly impressive as Jenny Lind, combining a beautiful, pure voice with her own harp playing. Dominique Planter, as Joice Heth and in other roles, also brings a strong stage presence and excellent vocals.

Songs including “Join the Circus”, “Colours of My Life”, “Come Follow the Band” and “Love Makes Such Fools of Us” provide some of the show's memorable musical moments.

There was, however, one significant disappointment for me: the sound balance.

I couldn’t hear most of the dialogue and lyrics; the words were difficult to understand, and I lost the thread of the story. I wondered whether it was simply our position in the stalls, but speaking to others afterwards, several had experienced the same problem.

That is particularly frustrating in a show where so much effort has gone into the visual storytelling. The spectacle may draw you in, but the words are what allow you to follow the story.

I hope this was simply an issue on the night, because there is so much to admire here.

This Barnum is a colourful, ambitious and wonderfully inventive production, packed with circus, live music, puppetry, magic and extraordinary performers. It may not quite have the complete cohesion of the production I remember from 1981, but it certainly delivers a feast for the eyes and plenty of theatrical wonder.

Roll up, roll up — the circus is in town, and there is plenty here to enjoy.

Tickets are on sale at ATGTICKETS.COM/MiltonKeynes

Performances: Tue 8 Sep - Sat 12 Sep

Access bookings: 0333 009 5399

Group bookings: 0207 206 1174