Choir of Man sings a song of praise to top male-bonding blokes
Choir of Man Male voice madness ★★★★★
IN the age of Me Too, and with one of the trends at the Fringe this year being the examination of masculinity in crisis, Choir of Man – a musical celebration of male-bonding, blokes and blokeiness set down the pub – seems something of an anomaly.
So I thought I’d go along and see what all the fuss is about. Now I know.
Big, bold and brash, this is exactly the sort of spirit-lifting, crowd-pleasing treat that deserves to be seen every bit as much as comedy’s next breakout star or the latest hardhitting drama tapping into the zeitgeist.
That’s the great thing about the Fringe; it’s a broad church. And every church needs a choir. And what a choir this is.
Ushered into Assembly Rooms Music Hall, before the show gets into its stride proper, members of the audience are invited to grab a pint from the working bar on stage. We are then welcomed to The Jungle proper, with a pumping rendition of the Guns n’ Roses classic from the nine-strong cast of bar room buddies we’ll be hanging out with for the next hour in their local.
Guiding us through the evening will be Dennis, who has a neat line in slam poetry rhymes as he celebrates pub culture’s camaraderie and community – and introduces The Jungle’s regulars, a mishmash of maledom who seem to fit snugly into the old fashioned boozer’s ethos.
‘This isn’t a place we come to realise our dreams,’ Dennis warmly observes. ‘It’s a place we come to share them... or lick our wounds .’
What follows is an episodic song cycle featuring pub tunes, folk, rock, choral and opera numbers designed to show the spirit of community felt between The Jungle’s walls.
Part Stomp, part boy band gig, part West End musical, the result is an exhilarating, eclectic mix of old classics and recent pop tunes , accompanied by high-octane choreography.
Vocally, the Choir Of Man is near faultless and the musical arrangements arresting. If there is a criticism, it’s that a more expansive use of the slam poetry narrative would have provided a much stronger piece as a whole.
The too, too obvious use of The Proclaimers’ 500 Miles is a hackneyed, hen party sing-along too far. But there’s no denying the dynamism of the show is electrifying. l Assembly Rooms, until Aug 26, except Aug 13