Barnum

22nd October 2026

34 members and guests took the short journey to Eastbourne and to the Congress Theatre.

This production of Cy Coleman, Michael Stewart, and Mark Bramble's classic circus musical Barnum, brings the life of legendary 19th-century showman Phineas Taylor Barnum dynamically to the stage. Directed by Jonathan O'Boyle with vibrant choreography by Oti Mabuse, the show weaves high-energy spectacle, tightrope walking, and classic show tunes—such as "Join the Circus" and "The Colours of My Life"—with a star-studded main cast, including Matt Rawle as P.T. Barnum, Monique Young as his pragmatic wife Chairy (Charity) Barnum, Penny Ashmore as the Swedish Nightingale Jenny Lind, Dominique Planter as Joice Heth / The Blues Singer, and Fergus Rattigan as General Tom Thumb.

The cast were excellent especially the main actor Matt Rawle, who is a British actor, but you wouldn't have known that form his American accent! It was loud and you couldn't take your eyes of the performance as things were happening all over the stage, all the time...

After the show was made our way up to the Welcome Rooms for an afternoon cream tea that everyone agreed was well worth waiting for.

After the tea and just at the time to get back on the coach, the heavens opened and it poured with rain and although the coach was nearby, a number of us got a bit damp!!

here are some photos for you to enjoy: