Customise Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorised as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyse the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customised advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyse the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

‘The Greatest Showman’

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Headed off to see The Greatest Showman’, as the companion, and not the instigator. I did not have high expectations and suspected that this could be another Moulin Rouge (one of very few films that led me to walk out). When, at the very beginning, for no apparent reason, the actors burst into song, I  began to think about the scathing review I would write. But, how wrong could I be. This film is very hard to fault.


This ‘American period musical drama’ is based on the true life story of P.T. Barnum, a man who on being fired from a  white collar desk job turns to entertainment and pioneers the concept of the travelling entertainment troupe/circus. Playing the lead role, Hugh Jackman shows off his amazing versatility — dancing, singing and acting impeccably in virtually every scene of this film. His on screen, long suffering wife is played superbly by the lovely Michelle Williams and Rebecca Ferguson is perfect as the English singer who is the subject of his infatuation. However, the most memorable acting is that by the actors playing the ‘oddities’ who form part of this entertainment troupe, and who due to their physical abnormalities or even the colour of their skin, are employed to shock and entice spectators. As for the storyline – you’ll have to see for yourself – but let’s just say that it has sufficient twists and turns to make it interesting and never slow or dull.

But back to the music. I was delighted to discover that apart from one or two exceptions the songs in this film are nothing like faux classical Lloyd Webber songs, that in my view often spoil what would otherwise have been perfectly good spoken lines, and in which the lyrics rarely match the music, the way memorable popular songs do. Instead, the songs are adult-contemporary in style, yet manage to sound totally at home in the period and various location settings. This I consider to be one of the film’s greatest achievements. The songs themselves are contemporary and distinct in style.  ‘Do yourself a favour’ and check out the official soundtrack. Also, the dancing is impeccably and originally choreographed, flawlessly performed, and consequently a delight to watch.

I left the cinema, glad that I had come along, imagining what a live performance would be like, pleased with the music I had heard, and inspired by the story. Above all, it was so good to discover that there is a genre of musical that sits between pretentious Lloyd Webber musicals and rock opera.
(Visited 48 times, 1 visits today)

loading