Raising the Bar: Why The Choir of Man is the ultimate happy hour

Your local pub – when was the last time you went? Just for the hell of it. Just for a pint (or a J2O). Just for the atmosphere?

With the Choir of Man, you’re invited to have a pint, have a knees-up and enjoy some of your favourite tunes in a theatre that’s kitted out to look like your local pub. Launched in 2017 at the Edinburgh fringe, Choir of Man has since travelled the world bringing the heart of the British pub to audiences far and wide – and luckily for me, back to the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry again.

The audience were invited to join the choir beforehand and during the interval to order a pint at the on-stage bar which was a fantastic addition to the show since I last saw it back in 2021. I never dreamed that anything like that would happen, but being able to be on stage for a short while and see that side of things was an incredible experience.

Each of the lads had a character and a story – just regular everyday ‘men’s men’ but without the toxicity – just pure heart and masculinity. There was all sorts of diverse representation from a man who lost his father (‘Dance with my Father’ – Luther Vandross) to a gay man’s heartbreak song (‘Hello’ by Adele), from a landlord’s story of a rekindled love (‘Escape – The Piña Colada Song’ by Rupert Holmes) to an old folk song of debatable origins to round off the night.

We heard the stories about hometowns and local pubs, and it made me feel a beautiful sense of nostalgia for my own story and wondered at those around me. Through songs like ‘Some Nights’ (fun.) and ‘You’re the Voice’ (John Farnham) the show basically rekindled my hope in humanity and community- and it made me cry a few times just from that pure rush of emotion. Their harmonies and renditions of classic songs that we all know and adore, like ‘Somebody to love’ (Queen) and ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ (Guns N’ Roses) to kick it all off, meant we were dancing, clapping, laughing and singing along from start to finish.

Outstanding moments included the tap-dancing from ‘Jack’ which was absolutely on point – with a special mention to the tech where they had light bumps to match the taps which were exactly correct. I absolutely take my hat off to them. Another notable moment was ‘Gustav’ and his piano rendition of ‘I’m gonna be (500 miles)’ which absolutely tore the house down. He and everyone up there had a great character and a great stage presence – plus incredible voices. And free crisps and beer were appreciated too – cheers guys! Here’s to an incredible evening, I hope you can keep bringing that love and hope to cities for years to come!