The Choir of Man – Bord Gáis Energy Theatre – Review

THE CHOIR OF MAN – Produced by HH Productions, Nic Doodson, Andrew Kay, Global Creative and Kenny Wax present
Dates: 10 – 14 November 2026

Find out more about this Production here. 

This production is set in a pub called The Jungle. Despite its name, it’s a typical, low-key English pub where several men regularly gather, with ne’er a woman in sight. These men come from a variety of backgrounds, some immigrants and others from different parts of England. The only thing they really have in common is that they spend their nights in this pub, where their differences disappear as they sing together!

This is the type of production that sends you looking for the definition of a musical, which it just about fulfils. While there is a story, or at least a backstory, it is mostly told through a couple of monologue sections, delivered as spoken-word poetry. What holds the performance together are the songs by artists including Queen, Luther Vandross, Sia, Paul Simon, Adele, Guns N’ Roses, Avicii and Katy Perry. The production doesn’t have a traditional story arc and is essentially a series of songs delivered in varying arrangements, with some gags, audience participation and other happenings involving this genial collection of young men.

The Choir of Man started in 2017 at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, in a relatively small venue, the Assembly Music Hall. Since then, it has performed on cruise ships and in many other venues around the world, including the Sydney Opera House and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

There is a working bar on stage. Before the performance and at the interval, it is open to members of the audience, who can enjoy a pint of Guinness Zero. The cast members also appear on stage and chat with the audience, as though welcoming them into their pub! It also offers the audience an opportunity to take the perfect selfie from the Bord Gáis stage!

This is an English production, and some of the gags were lost on the local audience. Do Irish people really care if football doesn’t ‘come home’? The one concession made to the Irish audience was that Mullingar man Mark Irwin took the part of the Barman. He also helped with the pronunciation of some Irish place names! There is a substantial amount of audience participation, with willing members of the audience invited up on stage. It was all nicely handled and not aimed at embarrassing anyone.

I must admit to having some reservations about the concept behind the production, but these quickly disappeared, as the singing of the performers is the real highlight. The vocal harmonies on Sia’s Chandelier (2014) worked very well, and there was considerable variety in the arrangements. Other songs, such as Escape (The Piña Colada Song) and an unorthodox version of Under the Bridge, performed at a row of urinals in the pub toilet, will live long in the memory!

The performers on stage exude warmth and amiable energy, and the whole production is playful in nature and doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s a vision of an English pub where there are no arguments over football teams, Brexit or politics. While it might sound a bit far-fetched, it’s nice to have a dream!