In November 1997 the Bristol Light Opera Club, performing as BLOC, brought Cy Coleman’s circus musical Barnum to the Bristol Hippodrome under the cover banner “Come Follow the Band”, directed by John Cousins with musical director Julian Edgell and choreographer Jacquie Bell. Joe Chester played P T Barnum, with understudy Christopher Greaves taking the role at the Wednesday evening and Saturday matinee performances, and the company trained in circus skills with Circomedia and Circus Maniacs. In his “Chairman’s Musical Appreciation”, Robert Hurst called for “a Rodgers and Hammerstein in its full glory” and announced the regional premiere of the new Broadway version of State Fair for November 1998.
Cast
- P T Barnum — Joe Chester / Christopher Greaves
- Charity (Chairy) Barnum — Julia Kennedy
- Jenny Lind — Ethel-Jane Cormack
- Joice Heth — Carol Davies
- Tom Thumb — Nic Gibney
- Ringmaster — Andrew Fouracres
- Julius Goldschmidt — Jonathan Barker
- Blues Singer — Rebecca Morgan
- Chester Lyman — Neil Merrett
- Amos Scudder — Mike McClary
- Sherwood Stratton — Treavor Crocker
- Mrs Stratton — Susan Mitchell
- Edger Templeton — Neil Merrett
- Humbert Morrisey — Treavor Crocker
- Woman — Alison Sutton
- James A Bailey — Simon Vardakis