An interactive celebration of community, friendship, singing and the local pub – The Choir of Man comes to Cardiff’s Wales Millennium Centre on its first UK tour

The Choir of Man is at Cardiff’s Wales Millennium Centre for the week and it’s such a joyful and uplifting celebration of community and friendship.

It’s quite unlike anything I’ve ever seen before, as we join a group of nine men who get together to chat, drink and sing in their local pub The Jungle.

It’s so interactive, the audience are on the stage mingling with the performers before the show and during the interval. The cast give away drinks and crisps. There’s a singalong where dozens of us provide backing vocals to Bon Jovi’s Livin’ on a Prayer (yep, I wasted no time in getting involved with that one!) A couple of other audience members were even serenaded on stage!

There’s no plot as such. It’s a series of poetic monologues and conversations on everything from mental health and community to what ‘home’ means and even a plea to support your own local pub. Laugh-out-loud moments contrast with deeply emotional ones, there’s tap dancing, jumping on the bar, the actors play piano, guitar, trumpet, and so much more.

The soundtrack is an eclectic mix, including energetic opener The Jungle by Guns’n’Roses, clapping along to I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) by The Proclaimers, a humorous acoustic rendition of Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream, and slower moments such as Cardiff actor Levi Tyrrel Johnson’s You’re The Voice (originally by John Farnham) and Llantwit Major’s Sam Walter singing Hello by Adele.

The harmonies in the a cappella version of Sia’s Chandelier are spine tingling and, as an opening night treat, the song was performed again at the end, this time accompanied by 180 members of choirs from Pembrokeshire, Cheltenham and Solihull. (Minor gripe: it would have been good to have included a local choir in this experience.)

This is a feel-good night out that’ll have you clapping and singing along and feeling well and truly welcome. On until Saturday, tickets still available.

The Choir of Man is at Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff until Saturday 23 May. Tickets priced from £10 are still available. The show is approximately two hours including interval. Age guidance 10+, no admission to under 2s.
Book online wmc.org.uk

Also coming up at Wales Millennium Centre:

Sunny Afternoon: The Kinks Musical 26-20 May

Miss Saigon 2-6 June

Waitress 8-13 June

Legally Blonde 16-20 June

Fawlty Towers The Play 23-27 June

Annie 7-18 July