REVIEW: The Choir of Man at The Lowry – Our Most Fun Theatre Trip Yet!
The Choir of Man at The Lowry – A Night of Music, Laughter & Pub Shenanigans!
On Tuesday 13 October 2026, Lawrence and I headed to The Lowry in Salford for the press night of The Choir of Man. I'd seen the show before and was really looking forward to experiencing it again, although I don't think either of us realised just how much fun we were going to have!
The Choir of Man is a musical unlike most others. Set inside a fully functioning pub called The Jungle, it combines familiar songs, comedy, audience participation and heartfelt storytelling. What makes it particularly unusual is that audience members can actually go onto the stage before the performance and during the interval, have a drink at the bar and meet the cast.
Although I'd enjoyed the show on my previous visit, this time turned out to be an even better experience. In fact, I think it was probably the most fun Lawrence and I have ever had at the theatre!
Our Trip To See The Choir of Man At The Lowry
My dad kindly gave us a lift to Salford Quays, dropping us off opposite the Imperial War Museum North. From there, Lawrence and I walked across the bridge towards The Lowry, which is only a short walk away.
Once inside the venue, our first stop was the press desk. I already had our tickets on my phone, so I only needed to collect our programme and drinks voucher. With those safely in hand, we headed over to the merchandise stand to see what was available.
The Choir of Man Merchandise & Programme
There was quite a good selection of The Choir of Man merchandise available at The Lowry, including clothing, accessories and souvenirs. Here's what was available during our visit, along with the prices:
Show Logo T-shirt – £30
I Sang With The Choir T-shirt – £30
No Judgement Here Hoodie – £55
Cap – £25
Tote Bag – £25
Teddy Bear – £16
Magnet – £10
Mug – £16
Shot Glass – £12
Pin Badge – £9
CD – £15
I didn't actually buy anything, although I've since realised that I probably should have picked up the magnet! I collect theatre magnets, and because I'd seen The Choir of Man before, I assumed I already had one. However, when I got home, I remembered that the magnets had been out of stock during my previous visit, so I never actually managed to get one.
Hopefully I'll have another opportunity to add one to my collection in the future!
After looking at the merchandise, we stopped to have a look at the cast board to see who would be performing that evening, before heading into the auditorium to find our seats.
Our Seats & View At The Lowry
We entered the Lyric Theatre through Door A and headed to our seats. We'd been allocated Row Q, Seats 26 and 27 in the stalls, and I was really pleased with where we were sitting. We had an excellent, clear and unobstructed view of the stage, and I felt we were in a great position to enjoy the whole performance.
Having previously seen The Choir of Man, I already knew how much the seating position could affect the experience, so I was particularly pleased that we'd been allocated stalls seats for the entire performance this time. I'll explain more about the difference between sitting in the stalls and circle later in the review.
Once we'd found our seats, we left our coats there and headed down towards the stage to join the queue for the onstage bar.
Visiting The Jungle – The Onstage Pub Before The Show
One of the things that makes The Choir of Man so unusual is that the stage is transformed into The Jungle, a fully functioning pub that audience members are invited to visit before the show.
The onstage bar offered draught beer alongside a selection of canned beers and ciders, including Brooklyn Brewery Stonewall Inn IPA, 1664 lager, Thatchers Gold and Thatchers Blood Orange. Alcohol-free options included Lucky Saint beer and Thatchers Zero cider, while cans of Cano Water were also available.
Lawrence chose a can of Thatchers Blood Orange cider, but as we had a drinks voucher, I'm not sure how much the drinks would normally cost.
I really enjoyed having the opportunity to walk around the stage and look at the set properly. From our seats, the pub looked fantastic, but getting up close allowed us to appreciate all the little details that had gone into creating it. There were framed photographs and decorations on the walls, and I particularly enjoyed looking at the pictures and exploring the surroundings.
As it got closer to the performance starting, members of the cast began coming onto the stage and chatting with audience members. They were really friendly and happy to pose for photographs, and Lawrence and I were lucky enough to get a few photos with some of them.
It was such a lovely way to start the evening and made the whole experience feel much more relaxed and welcoming than a traditional theatre visit.
Just before the show was due to begin, we headed back to our seats. A few audience members remained on stage, where they joined some of the performers in a spot of cup stacking, working together to build an enormous pyramid out of clear plastic cups. It was a fun little activity to watch and helped keep the atmosphere lively right up until the performance began.
The Story & My Thoughts
The Choir of Man doesn't really have a traditional storyline. Instead, it introduces us to nine men who regularly meet at their local pub, The Jungle, where they share stories, music, laughter and friendship.
Each member of the group has a nickname that reflects his personality, including the Romantic, the Joker, the Barman, the Hardman and the Bore. The Poet acts as the narrator, introducing the different characters and sharing stories that reveal a little more about their lives.
Although the show is packed with comedy and lively musical numbers, it also explores some surprisingly thoughtful themes, including loneliness, mental health, friendship and the importance of having somewhere you feel you belong.
I really like the way the production balances these more serious moments with the fun and entertainment. One minute you're laughing at something happening on stage, and the next you're listening to a touching story or a beautifully performed song.
There is also plenty of audience participation, with performers inviting people onto the stage during certain numbers. Some lucky audience members are even handed beers, while packets of crisps and beer mats are tossed into the audience.
One of the funniest moments involved the Maestro performing a very serious, slowed-down version of The Proclaimers' I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles). Every time the other cast members tried to join in with the familiar upbeat version, he became increasingly frustrated. It was absolutely hilarious, and I loved the way the performers played off one another.
Another particularly funny moment involved the Beast serenading an audience member during Katy Perry's Teenage Dream. There was also a scene where the Bore invited someone onto the stage to help build a house of cards.
The first act lasted approximately an hour, with the interval beginning at around 8:30 pm.
Our Interval Singalong On Stage
During the interval, I headed to one of The Lowry's regular bars to get a Diet Coke using my drinks voucher. Afterwards, Lawrence and I returned to the auditorium and joined the queue to go back onto the stage.
We had another opportunity to chat with some of the cast, but the highlight was definitely getting to stay on stage for the interval singalong.
Towards the end of the break, the performers led everyone through The Wild Rover and Bon Jovi's Livin' on a Prayer. Being up there with the cast and other audience members, singing along in the middle of the pub set, was such a fun and unusual experience.
Lawrence and I both really enjoyed it, and it's definitely something I'd recommend doing if you get the opportunity.
At around 8:50 pm, when the 20-minute interval came to an end, we were thanked for joining in and politely ushered off the stage. The cast then finished the song themselves before the performance continued.
I think this was one of the things that made our visit so memorable. Rather than simply watching the show, we actually got to be part of the experience, which was fantastic.
Set, Lighting, Music, Choreography & Performances
The set is one of my favourite things about The Choir of Man. Designed by Oli Townsend, The Jungle looks and feels like a real pub, complete with a wooden bar, tables, stools, a piano, framed pictures and colourful decorations.
I loved the attention to detail, particularly as we had the opportunity to explore it before the performance. Being able to see the photographs and decorations up close made me appreciate just how much thought had gone into creating the setting.
The lighting also works really well, changing from the warm, welcoming atmosphere of a traditional pub to much more colourful and dramatic lighting during the larger musical numbers.
Musically, the show is absolutely fantastic. The nine performers have incredible voices, and their harmonies are beautiful. The songs cover a wide range of styles, with music from artists including Queen, Adele, Sia, Paul Simon, Katy Perry and Guns N' Roses.
I particularly enjoyed the variety of the performances. Some numbers are energetic and full of movement, while others are much quieter and allow the cast's vocals to take centre stage. The choreography is also brilliant, with plenty of dancing around the pub furniture, clever routines involving beer tankards and some fantastic tap dancing.
Jack Skelton, who played the Handyman, particularly impressed me with his tap dancing, while Oluwalonimi (Nimi) Owoyemi was excellent as the Poet, guiding us through the evening with his spoken-word narration.
What I really loved about the cast was how natural their interactions felt. They genuinely came across as a group of friends having fun together, and their jokes, banter and playful behaviour made the whole performance incredibly entertaining.
243 Choir Members Performing Chandelier
One of the biggest highlights of the evening was a special performance of Sia's Chandelier, featuring 243 additional singers from four local choirs as part of The Jungle Choir Community Project.
The participating choirs were the University of Lancashire Chamber Choir, Northwich Musical Theatre Choir, Sing Space Musical Theatre Choir and Valley Aloud Choir.
The singers were positioned around the auditorium, including at the back of the stalls and up in the circle. Some were standing directly behind us, so when they began singing, we were completely surrounded by their voices.
It was an absolutely incredible experience. The harmonies sounded beautiful, and hearing so many people singing together from different parts of the theatre created a wonderful atmosphere.
This special choir performance takes place on opening nights at different venues, so it isn't necessarily part of every performance on the tour. I feel very lucky that we got to experience it.
Another musical highlight for me was the beautiful a cappella performance of The Parting Glass at the end of the show. The cast's voices blended together wonderfully, and it was a lovely way to finish such an entertaining evening.
Was The Choir of Man Better From The Stalls Or The Circle?
Having seen The Choir of Man before, I already knew how much the seating position could affect the experience. On my previous visit, I attended with my parents and watched the first act from the circle before moving down to the stalls for the second act. I remember noticing quite a difference between the two areas, particularly when it came to feeling involved in the performance.
From the circle, I felt a little removed from the action. Although I could still enjoy the music and see what was happening on stage, I didn't feel quite as immersed in the atmosphere of The Jungle. Moving down to the stalls for the second act made a noticeable difference, as I felt much closer to everything that was happening.
This time, Lawrence and I were sitting in Row Q of the stalls for the entire performance, which was fantastic. I loved feeling part of the lively atmosphere throughout the evening, particularly with all the audience participation and interaction between the cast and the audience.
I also think making the most of the onstage experience contributed to how much I enjoyed the show this time. During my previous visit, I went onto the stage with my dad, but we only stayed for a short while and didn't join in with the interval singalong. This time, Lawrence and I spent much longer exploring the pub set, chatting with the cast and taking photographs, and we stayed on stage for the singalong, which was one of my favourite parts of the evening.
If you're planning to see The Choir of Man, I would personally recommend sitting in the stalls if you want to feel immersed in the atmosphere and closer to the action. However, if you'd prefer to sit back and enjoy the performance without feeling quite so involved, the circle could be a great choice.
Neither seating area is necessarily better for everyone, and it really depends on the experience you're looking for. Having watched the show from both areas, though, I definitely prefer the stalls, so I was really pleased that we'd been allocated seats there for this visit.
The Journey Home
The performance finished at approximately 9:44 pm, making our total running time around 2 hours 14 minutes, including the interval. This was slightly longer than The Lowry's advertised running time of 2 hours 5 minutes, possibly because of the additional opening-night choir performance.
After leaving the theatre, Lawrence and I walked back across the bridge towards the Imperial War Museum North, where we waited for my dad to collect us.
We spent the walk chatting about the show and all the things we'd enjoyed, particularly the interval singalong and the incredible choir performance. We'd both had such a fantastic evening, and there was certainly plenty to talk about on the way home!
Final Thoughts On The Choir of Man At The Lowry
I absolutely loved seeing The Choir of Man again, and I honestly think this was one of the most enjoyable theatre trips Lawrence and I have ever had together.
The music was fantastic, the cast were incredibly talented, and the atmosphere throughout the evening was brilliant. I particularly loved how the production combined lively musical numbers and hilarious comedy with more heartfelt moments about friendship, community and human connection.
Although I'd enjoyed the show on my previous visit, I definitely had a better experience this time. Being in the stalls for the entire performance and making the most of the opportunities to go on stage made such a difference, and sharing the evening with Lawrence made it even more special.
If you enjoy live music, comedy and a lively atmosphere, I would absolutely recommend seeing The Choir of Man. It's such a fun and uplifting production, but it also has a lovely message about friendship and looking out for one another.
A fantastic evening filled with music, laughter and unforgettable moments – and definitely one of our most fun theatre trips yet!
More Information About The Choir of Man At The Lowry
The Choir of Man is appearing at The Lowry in Salford from 13 to 17 October 2026 as part of its UK and Ireland tour.
For tickets and further information, visit The Lowry's official website.
For a more detailed look at the production, including the set, choreography, music and cast, you can also read my full review on All About Theatre.
Watch Our Theatre Trip In The Weekly Vlog
You can also see more from our visit to The Lowry in our weekly family vlog, including our journey to the theatre, the onstage pub experience and some of the highlights from our evening. - Coming soon
The Choir of Man At The Lowry – At A Glance
🎭 Show: The Choir of Man
📍 Venue: The Lowry, Lyric Theatre, Salford Quays, Salford, Greater Manchester
📅 Performance Dates: 13–17 October 2026
🎟️ Tickets: From £36.50
🔗 Booking: The Lowry – The Choir of Man
⏱️ Running Time: Approximately 2 hours 5 minutes, including a 20-minute interval, as advertised by The Lowry. Special opening-night performances may run slightly longer.
🕒 Arrival Tip: Arrive early if you'd like to explore The Jungle onstage pub, take photographs and meet some of the cast before the performance.
🍻 Onstage Bar: Audience members can visit The Jungle pub on stage before the performance and during the interval. Drinks are available to purchase, but you don't need to buy anything to explore the set.
🎤 Audience Participation: The show includes opportunities for audience interaction, with some audience members invited onto the stage during the performance.
💺 Seating Tip: Stalls seats offer a more immersive experience, while the circle provides a more elevated view of the stage.
🛍️ Merchandise: A selection of official show merchandise is available, including clothing, souvenirs and accessories. Availability and prices may vary.
🚊 Getting There: The Lowry is easily accessible by tram, bus and car. The nearest Metrolink stop is MediaCityUK, just a short walk from the theatre.
🚗 Parking: Parking is available at the nearby Quayside MediaCityUK multi-storey car park.
Our tickets and drinks vouchers were kindly gifted in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
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