Review: The Choir Of Man at Milton Keynes Theatre is the ultimate night down the pub
After a hard day at work there’s nothing quite like a few beers down the pub – especially during the current heatwave – as you catch up with friends, listen to good music and unwind from the stresses of everyday life.
Translate that to the stage and you get The Choir Of Man which opened at Milton Keynes Theatre last night – and what a breath of fresh air on a hot and humid night.
The show follows nine ordinary guys who sing, dance, and play instruments while sharing poetry, stories, and pints.
The 90-minute show celebrates community, male friendship, and the sanctuary of the local pub – and with plenty closing all the time there’s a "use it or lose it” message thrown in for good measure.
There’s a real feelgood buzz from the moment you arrive at ‘The Jungle’ bar – a spit and sawdust, sticky floored, old-fashioned boozer where if you’re hungry you’re only option is a bag of pork scratchings.
Uniquely, there’s plenty going on before the show even begins – audience members were mingling on stage having purchased beer from the bar which was part of the main set, and there was a beer glass (well, plastic cup) balancing challenge going on too.
Once we were fully under way you could tell you were in for a fun night with a choir whose members would sing into a mop microphone, drum with a stool, jump on and off the bar at regular intervals, grab an audience member of two to join the party, chuck playing cards or snacks into the crowd, and also regularly hand deliver free pints to theatre-goers – the theory behind the latter being “the more you drink, the better we sound!”.
Let’s face it though, their voices were sensational and I’m sure no-one needed a drop of alcohol to influence coming to that conclusion.
The harmonies were spot on – and some of softer songs like Adele’s Hello From The Other Side or Chandelier by Sia were delivered with beautiful delicacy.
Lewis Dragisic (Poet), who was born and raised in nearby Hemel Hempstead, knitted the evening together impressively with his narration – whether it be introducing us to the characters, extolling the virtues of the local pub, or giving us food for thought on what really is important in life.
Other memorable moments – and there were too many to list – included Gustav Melbardis (Maestro) and his unique spin on The Proclaimers’ I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles), Joshua Lloyd (Barman) leading on Queen’s Somebody to Love, and the visit to the urinals by Ben Mabberley (Joker) who was then joined by a couple of the other lads for a scene that had everyone in stitches.
An unforgettable evening was rounded off when two local choirs were invited to join in with the singing as part of The Jungle Choir Community Project. Groups on each leg of the tour are being invited to attend the opening night performance and participate in the final moments of the show. In MK it was an opportuity for The Buskerteers and the Collaboration Choir to earn a deserved ovation.
In summary, there’s no doubt you’ll be raising your glass to toast The Choir of Man lads. Cheers for a great night out!
The Choir of Man is at Milton Keynes Theatre until Saturday, May 30. Get your tickets via ATGTICKETS.COM/MiltonKeynes