The classic Broadway musical that celebrates the life of the world’s greatest showman, P.T. Barnum is set to play Aylesbury Waterside Theatre for a week full of spectacle… and tightrope walking(!) from Tue 24 – Sat 28 Mar.

West End favourite and TV star Lee Mead will take centre stage as the legendary P.T. Barnum. best known for his breakout win on Any Dream Will Do and acclaimed performances in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Wicked and Legally Blonde, Lee recalls being in a school production of Barnum in his hometown of Southend-on-Sea: “I had such a brilliant time and I thought the story and the characters were wonderful.”

The life of the marketing genius and master of spectacle, P.T. Barnum, premiered as a musical on Broadway in 1980 and was a huge hit the following year when Michael Crawford took the lead at the London Palladium ahead of a UK tour. Lee is aware of the enormity of the role: “This is definitely my most challenging role. It’s one of those rare roles for a leading man with huge monologues and so many songs, and I don’t think I leave the stage for two hours, apart from the interval of course.”

Then there’s the tightrope walking, which Lee has trained intensely for over several months. “It’s the kind of thing you learn at 24, not 44,” he laughs, “so I’ve had to get myself fit and put in the work. The rope is about 7ft off the ground and, although I trained with a harness on, there’s no harness during the show itself. You have to use your whole body, your whole core and every ounce of your focus and energy to get across that wire, but I like a challenge.”

Enter the world of P.T. Barnum, where imagination and ambition know no bounds. This spectacular production will feature an extraordinary ensemble cast of actor-musicians, acrobats and amazing circus acts.

To book:

Atgtickets.com/Aylesbury*

For all the latest behind-the-scenes gossip follow:

Facebook: @aylesburywatersidetheatre

Instagram: @aylesburywaterside.theatre

Twitter: @thewaterside1

TikTok: @aylesburywaterside

*Fees apply.

Competition Time: Carlos Acosta’s Carmen

A flamenco-Cuban-ballet contemporary mashup bursting with energy and inventive choreography. Carlos’ take on the classic and powerful opera, lays bare the story’s universal and timeless themes, in a sparse and powerful setting.

For your chance to win 2x tickets to Carlos Acosta’s Carmen on Wed 15 Apr at 7.30pm, simply answer the following question:

Popular opera Carmen was by which composer:

1. Bizet
2. Beethoven
3. Mozart

Email Coralie at coralie@chilternviewmagazines.co.uk by Friday 3^rd April.