A dazzling musical is set to light up the stage as it brings the story of an iconic showman to life.
The Broadway musical, which celebrates the life of P. T. Barnum, finishes its UK and Ireland tour at Malvern Theatres on October 27-31.
The production tells the story of the legendary 19th-century entertainer and circus founder, following his larger-than-life career alongside his wife, Charity.
Matt Rawle returns to his critically acclaimed role as P. T. Barnum, joined by Monique Young as Charity Barnum.
The cast also features Penny Ashmore as Jenny Lind, Dominique Planter as Joice Heth, and Fergus Rattigan as General Tom Thumb.
Matt Rawle said: "It's such a dream part for an actor because there's the showman aspect to Barnum, of course, but he's also a flawed human being.
"P. T. Barnum was played by Hugh Jackman in the big screen blockbuster The Greatest Showman and, as in the film, the musical looks at the real man behind the on-stage persona.
"He was married to Charity but also became infatuated with Swedish singer Jenny Lind.
"He was a complex man and a fascinating one. He was the embodiment of the American dream and the idea that you can be whatever you want to be.
"He championed the likes of the Bearded Lady and Tom Thumb and, while the conditions in which they worked might not have been the best, I think he genuinely wanted to transform people's lives and show audiences a good time."
The musical, directed by Jonathan O’Boyle and choreographed by Oti Mabuse from Strictly Come Dancing, blends live music, circus acts, puppetry, and acrobatics.
It is set to a lively score by Cy Coleman, with lyrics by Michael Stewart and a book by Mark Bramble and features classic show tunes like Join the Circus, Colours of My Life, Come Follow the Band, and Love Makes Such Fools of Us All.
The show first gained UK popularity in 1981 at the London Palladium, where Michael Crawford famously performed a tightrope walk across the stage each night.
Mr Rawle takes on the same challenge in this new tour.
He first played Barnum at the Watermill Theatre in 2004.
He said: "When I originally started out, I thought, 'If I can just get from one side to the other without breaking anything, that is gonna be my goal.'
"Slowly you build up the skill and the stamina, then when you make it across from one side to the other it's magical.
"It never gets any easier, I'll admit, especially on tour when sometimes the stage is raked and in other theatres it's flat.
"It keeps me on my toes for sure, but it's such a thrill to hear the reaction from the audience."
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