Choir Of Man: Welcoming Pub Vibes For Connection, Song & Raising A Glass
Image: Mark Senior
Some pubs earn their reputation because they’re fancy, others because they’re raucous. Personally, I think the best ones are the ones that make you feel like you can finally unclench your shoulders.
That’s the kind of pub The Choir of Man is built around.
The Olivier Award-nominated West End hit is making its Queensland premiere at Brisbane Festival next month.
It will taking over the Magic Mirrors Spiegeltent with nine performers: Ifan Gwilym-Jones, Paul McArthur, Mark Loveday, Tristan Whincup, Kristian Morse, Conor Mellor, George Knapper, Cal T King, Tyler Orphé-Baker, Norton James, Alex Mallalieu, Lewis Dragisic, and Bradley Walwyn.
Their show is all about audience participation, and a soundtrack that jumps from Queen and Paul Simon to Adele and Guns N’ Roses. Oh, and plenty of pints.
But underneath all the singalongs and beer, it’s a show about finding your people, finding home in community.
“The pub in our show is really just a metaphor for somewhere you’re welcomed, where people know your name and where you’re allowed to be completely yourself,” the cast tells Star Observer.
“We don’t ask the audience to sit quietly; we invite them into the space, give them a pint and make them feel welcome. Wherever we have taken the show, people seem to recognise that feeling, which is the most satisfying thing about performing in it.”
For queer audiences, that’s a familiar feeling. Our community has spent decades making homes out of borrowed spaces, carving little pockets of safety to be together. We’re very aware that true belonging isn’t a lucky accident, it’s something people choose to build together.
It’s how the Choir of Man cast function, too.
“A great group isn’t created by everybody fighting for their moment; it is created by people generously making space for one another. Choirs are like life — often the loudest voice is the most discordant. Listening is so important to find harmony.”
And when asked why the show seems to resonate so strongly with LGBTQIA+ audiences, their answer is beautifully uncomplicated.
“At its heart, the show says that there is a place for you at the table and that you don’t need to change who you are in order to belong there. I think that naturally has a resonance for LGBTQIA+ audiences… Some of the most moving responses we receive are from people who recognise in the pub a version of chosen family.”
It’s a fitting addition to this year’s Brisbane Festival, which continues to embrace queer audiences through a program that stretches from theatre and live music to cabaret, and much more.
“This year, Brisbane Festival is tuned to the frequency of this city – from first light through to after dark,” says Artistic Director Ebony Bott. “It is a Festival shaped by Brisbane’s energy, outdoor life and sense of momentum and possibility, bringing extraordinary artists from Queensland, across Australia and around the world.”
Because that’s what the best festivals do. They fill a city with moments where people who might never have crossed paths suddenly find themselves singing the same song, raising a glass, and feeling at home together.
For a couple of hours, everyone gets to belong, and share space together. LGBTQIA+ people know better than anyone how important that is.
The Choir of Man is on at the Brisbane Festival from September 3–26.
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