The Greatest Showman, the 2017 film that became a sleeper hit despite poor reviews, has been adapted into a stage musical by Disney. The production is currently running an eight-week sold-out tryout at the Hippodrome in Bristol, rather than launching in London or on Broadway. The show features new songs by original composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, alongside the film's popular soundtrack.
Director Casey Nicholaw, a Tony winner for The Book of Mormon, oversees the ambitious production, which required major structural alterations to the theatre. The cast includes Oliver Tompsett as PT Barnum and Samantha Barks as his wife Charity. Barks, known for playing Elsa in the West End production of Frozen, says her family adores the film. Tompsett, who comes from a theatre family, relates to the film's portrayal of family and community.
The musical's book, written by Tim Federle, follows Barnum's rise as a circus impresario, promoting a troupe of 'unique persons and curiosities' amid protests against his 'freak show'. It also depicts his later venture into opera with Swedish soprano Jenny Lind. The production aims to balance spectacle with storytelling, adding new musical numbers to deepen the narrative.
Executive producer Anne Quart of Disney Theatrical Group notes that Pasek and Paul were 'absolutely central' to the show's development, writing new songs where needed. The future of the production beyond Bristol is unconfirmed, but Theatre Royal Drury Lane, former home to Frozen, will be vacant after Hercules closes in September.
