Review: THE CHOIR OF MAN, Arts Theatre

With this summer’s Edinburgh Fringe imminent amid deep concerns around the cost of accommodation, falling levels of critical coverage and fewer major theatre awards, this show stands as a testament to the possible rewards for those lucky enough to get noticed. After debuting at the Fringe in 2017, the show created by Nic Doodson and Andrew Kay had runs in Australia and the US before debuting in London in 2021.

The beer flows freely from the onstage bar (the audience can grab a pint there before the show and mingle with the cast) but The Choir of Man is more about camaraderie than CAMRA. Set in an old-school pub that Guy Ritchie would adore - everyone has a nickname, there’s a joanna in the corner and the bar menu consists solely of pork scratchings - a chorus of manly men blast out the songs of Queen, Luther Vandross, Paul Simon, Guns n’ Roses et al with softer moments care of Sia and Adele. 

The crew may number just shy of a round ten but that seems to be the only thing shy about a production which unashamedly wears its heart on its sleeve. Freddie Huddleston’s choreography turns a heterogeneous bunch of lads into a sleek dancing troupe that gives each of them a chance to shine. With the emotional monologues from Ben Norris and its loyal female fanbase (I counted eight blondes seated in a row in front of me), maybe this show has become some kind of Magic Mike for the soul.

What makes the latest iteration of this Olivier-nominated production notable is less the new faces and more the recent focus on men’s mental health and their behaviour in society. While the show previously supported the Campaign Against Living Miserably through collections at the end of the night, it has now officially partnered with the suicide prevention charity to raise over £10,000.

Meanwhile, mainstream newspapers ponder why “men lose all their friends in mid-life” and Sadiq Khan has launched a major new campaign to empower men and boys to say ‘Maaate’ to their mates as a means of challenging misogyny in society. Author Caitlin Moran has continued the conversation she started in “How To Build A Woman” and “How To Build A Girl” by asking this year “What About Men?” 

These worthy efforts won’t solve overnight issues like the tragically high rate of male suicides or the unbelievable levels of sexism in society that still exist everywhere from the factory floor to the boardroom but, every now and then, it is worth recognising the efforts being made to make this situation that little bit better. 

The Choir of Man is booking until February 2024.

Photo credit: The Other Richard

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