Here’s cheers! It’s chords and coldies with these pub rockers
It’s a raucous night of fun, festivity and foot-stomping anthems – with a few beers thrown in – at The Choir of Man.
The British pub that frames The Choir of Man is no mere set. Not only do the beer taps work, but the free drinks are flowing before the show begins (thanks to a savvy partnership with a Brisbane brewery).
This feel-good production was birthed at the 2017 Edinburgh Fringe and has been touring the world ever since, save for the COVID-19 shutdown. It has played Adelaide Fringe, London’s West End and throughout the UK, and is a resident show on multiple cruise ships.
And now it occupies the much-loved Magic Mirrors Spiegeltent at Verso Projects. Festival Village, South Bank, which is the beating heart of this year’s Brisbane Festival. And the show runs throughout the festival.
Nic Doodson and Andrew Kay have created an all-male cast of characters who represent the locals hanging out at their neighbourhood pub, The Jungle. Each performer takes on an archetype such as The Joker, Hard Man or Romantic, and is given a solo musical moment to match.
Jack Blume’s orchestrations and arrangements feature throughout, with a mashup of music by Avicii and Eagle-Eye Cherry an early ensemble highlight.
The Poet (Paul McArthur) is the narrator and introduces the audience to each of the men and their stories. The book (by spoken word artist Ben Norris) is overly earnest in places. There are attempts to discuss the rapidly dwindling number of British pubs and the attendant male loneliness crisis, among other prominent issues, but these are usually given short shrift in service of the next song.
Several of the performers are also instrumentalists, and one gets to showcase his tap-dancing prowess.
Mark Loveday has occupied the role of the Barman since the show’s original run, which explains why he is completely at home as the character. The Maestro (Ifan Gwilym-Jones) provides a surprising music lesson on the piano by way of I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles), deconstructing The Proclaimer’s famous song and providing fun changes to the tempo and musical style.
Subscribe for updates
Happily, there is an Aussie classic included in the setlist, which I will not spoil, save to say that Kristian Morse’s tenor is absolutely up for the challenge.
The full ensemble reserves the acapella treatment for Sia’s Chandelier, and it shimmers with harmonies, anchored by a beautifully resonant bass line.
With a healthy helping of audience interaction, The Choir of Man is a party piece that is at its most enjoyable when it does not take itself too seriously.
The Choir of Man plays the Magic Mirrors Spiegeltent at Verso Projects. Festival Village, South Bank, until September 26.
Want to see more stories from InDaily Qld in your Google search results?
- Click here to set InDaily Qld as a preferred source.
- Tick the box next to "InDaily Qld". That's it.
Free to share
This article may be shared online or in print under a Creative Commons licence