Ad disclosure: We were provided with press tickets for the purpose of this post.
(5 stars)
The Choir of Man is currently on at the Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham, and yesterday Lydia and I were invited along to the press night to enjoy an evening at “The Jungle” – a night filled with wonderful music, laughter and camaraderie.
The stage at the Alex has been transformed into a fully working pub, with the more adventurous audience members invited on stage before the show even began. As Lydia and I took our seats in the dress circle, we could see people chatting over drinks, helping a few of the cast build a pyramid from plastic pint glasses, and generally soaking up the atmosphere. Meanwhile, pint in hand, Hard Man could be spotted wandering around the theatre chatting to audience members as they found their seats.
It wasn’t long before everyone was ushered off the stage for the performance to begin. The cast launched into a fantastic rendition of Welcome to the Jungle, before the Poet introduced us to the nine characters who call The Jungle home – from the Barman pulling pints behind the bar to the pub’s colourful regulars. From that moment on, the show never looked back.
The Choir of Man isn’t a traditional musical. Instead, it feels as though you’ve been invited into the pub to spend a couple of hours with a group of friends, sharing songs, stories and laughter. Rather than following a conventional storyline, the show celebrates nine very different characters who come together through friendship, music and a shared sense of belonging.
Most of the dialogue comes in the form of spoken-word poetry delivered by the aptly named Poet, interspersed with fantastic choral arrangements of some truly iconic songs. The show effortlessly moves between warm, good-natured banter, genuinely funny moments and heartfelt reflections on friendship, belonging and home. Lydia and I especially loved the “Home” monologue, which is updated for each touring cast. Learning about where the performers themselves call home – including the Swing performing that evening – made it feel even more personal.
The audience was completely under their spell. During some of the quieter songs and monologues, the theatre became so silent you could hear someone shifting in their seat a few rows away. Moments later, everyone would be clapping along, cheering and singing with huge smiles on their faces. It’s a surprisingly emotional show, celebrating friendship, community and the importance of having somewhere to belong, while quietly mourning the gradual loss of places like local pubs and community halls that once brought people together.
Musically, the show is simply phenomenal, and the incredibly talented cast absolutely blew us away. They seamlessly switched between singing, dancing and playing a wide range of instruments throughout the evening, with stunning multi-part harmonies and brilliantly arranged versions of some of the best songs ever written.
Niall Woodson, performing as Handyman that evening, was particularly memorable during a fantastic tap routine where the sound of his shoes became the percussion accompaniment to the song. The choreography and movement direction throughout the production is something of a hidden gem too. It’s not always the first thing you notice because there’s so much happening on stage, but it’s brilliantly crafted. Whether it’s the intricate ensemble movement, perfectly timed comedy, or the wonderfully choreographed cup routine, every moment feels carefully considered.
Even during quieter songs there always seemed to be something amusing happening somewhere else on stage—a pint balanced on someone’s head, a ridiculous facial expression or a bit of playful background business that rewarded anyone who took the time to look around.
I’ve always been a fan of male voice choirs, and I also enjoy spoken word poetry, so this show really felt like it had been made for me. Lydia, who has been a member of her school choirs for the past four years and is looking forward to starting Drama GCSE in September, was equally in awe of both the harmonies and the incredible vocal talent on display.
The Choir of Man makes the audience feel like they’re spending an evening with the cast rather than simply watching them perform. The fourth wall isn’t just broken—it barely exists. Audience members were invited on stage throughout the evening for serenades, dancing and general silliness, while beer mats and bags of crisps were thrown into the audience. I even came home with a beer mat tucked into my handbag after managing to catch one that was launched all the way up to the dress circle!
The audience was welcomed back into the pub during the interval too, with drinks available at the bar while the cast mingled with everyone, led an impromptu singalong and challenged audience members to throw a ping pong ball into a pint glass to win a free drink. It all helped blur the line between audience and performers even further, making everyone feel like regulars at The Jungle rather than visitors to a theatre.
I would normally pick out one or two standout performances from a show, but honestly that feels impossible here. Every single member of the cast is exceptional. Their singing, dancing, musicianship and comic timing are all outstanding, and together they create something that’s far greater than the sum of its parts.
The lighting was beautifully designed too, using spotlights to draw your attention around the stage while maintaining the warm, cosy atmosphere of the pub. The set itself perfectly captures the feel of a traditional British local, complete with quirky pictures on the walls, shelves lined with bottles, sturdy wooden furniture and, of course, plenty of pork scratchings behind the bar.
At the end of the evening, local choir Got2Sing joined the cast on stage, having spent weeks rehearsing for the moment. The result was an absolutely magical performance of Chandelier, with more than 200 voices filling the theatre in a genuinely goosebump-inducing finale.
The Choir of Man is much more than a jukebox musical or a concert. It’s a joyful celebration of friendship, community and the importance of finding somewhere you belong. You’ll laugh, you’ll clap along, and you may even find yourself unexpectedly moved along the way.
It is an easy five-star show from me, and one I’d happily recommend to almost anyone.
The Choir of Man is at the Alexandra Theatre until Saturday 18 July before continuing its 2026 UK tour. The show runs for approximately 1 hour 50 minutes, including an interval, and is recommended for ages 10+. Lydia is 13 and thoroughly enjoyed every minute – as you can see from her thoughts…
Lydia says: It was brilliant! A good mix of jokes and laughter and heartfelt poetry, as well as absolutely incredible singing. The harmonising was beautiful and all nine of them were very impressive singers and players of various musical instruments – especially the Beast, who was amazing in the guitar.
I liked how they involved the audience a lot, whether it was bringing them on stage or singing along or throwing various items into the audience. It’s also awesome how they let anyone from audience on stage before the show and during the interval to actually use the bar and order drinks. As well as this, it’s really sweet how they got a local choir (who were absolutely stunning singers) to perform a song with them at the end of the show.
As well as the Beast, I really liked the Poet, who did a brilliant job sort of narrating the story, describing each character and the life in the pub through very well written poetry. I also enjoyed how there was a real sense of community between cast members and also the whole audience. So overall, it was hilarious and all the singing and music was absolutely incredible!
