Barnum

Step right up – Barnum has arrived at Milton Keynes Theatre, bringing with it circus acts, acrobatics, live music and the larger-than-life story of the man who inspired the phrase "the greatest show on earth".

But while there is plenty of energy and undeniable talent on stage, this production doesn't quite deliver the spectacular theatrical experience you might expect from a musical about P.T. Barnum.

Cy Coleman and Michael Stewart's Barnum tells the story of the legendary showman through a combination of dialogue, music and spectacle. It's a show where the songs aren't simply musical interludes – they are an important part of the storytelling. Unfortunately, that's where this production presented its biggest problem for me.

The words were often extremely difficult to hear when the characters were singing.

The production uses a cast of actor-musicians, with the performers playing their instruments live on stage. It's an impressive concept, but the balance between the band and the singers didn't always work. At times, the instruments simply drowned out the vocals, meaning that lyrics, jokes and important parts of the narrative were lost.

That's particularly frustrating in a show like Barnum, where so much of the character development and storytelling is contained within the songs. Rather than being able to follow the story, I found myself occasionally trying to work out what had actually been sung.

There is plenty of talent on display. The ensemble are accomplished performers who sing, act, dance and play instruments, often changing roles and instruments with impressive speed. The staging also keeps the production moving, and there are some strong musical numbers, including Join the Circus, Colours of My Life and Come Follow the Band.

The circus element, however, was something of a disappointment.

There are acrobatics, juggling and circus skills incorporated into the production, but they largely remain in the background. Given that we're watching a show about P.T. Barnum, and given the production's emphasis on circus spectacle, I expected these moments to be much more spectacular.

Instead, the circus acts felt more like decoration around the musical rather than a central part of it. They were certainly good, but rarely produced the sense of wonder or danger that you might hope for from a show promising a dazzling world of circus entertainment.

Matt Rawle's performance as Barnum also didn't quite have the charisma I expected from the central character.

P.T. Barnum is, by definition, a showman – someone who could command a room, persuade people to part with their money and convince an audience that they were witnessing something extraordinary. While Rawle gives a perfectly competent performance, I didn't always feel that larger-than-life magnetism from him.

Monique Young brings more warmth and emotional depth to Charity Barnum, providing an important counterbalance to her husband's ambition. There are also some strong performances throughout the ensemble, and the actor-musician concept is undoubtedly one of the production's most interesting features.

Visually, there are some attractive touches, with Lee Newby's costumes and set creating an appropriately theatrical circus atmosphere. The choreography is energetic and the production moves at a good pace.

Barnum is an ambitious production with some excellent performers and flashes of spectacle, but I came away feeling that the greatest show on earth was still waiting to appear.