Leading role announced for spectacular hit musical Barnum in Blackpool
From school stage to centre ring, Lee Mead finally steps into the spotlight as the legendary P.T. Barnum - more than 30 years after first performing Barnum as a teenager
Bill Kenwright Ltd has revealed it will stage Barnum, the iconic Broadway musical with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Michael Stewart and a book by Mark Bramble, celebrating the life of legendary showman P.T. Barnum.
After debuting at the Watermill Theatre this spectacular new tour comes to the Winter Gardens Blackpool from 9-13 June 2026.
Lee Mead was just 13 or 14 when he first performed in Barnum at his Southend-on-Sea school taking on the role of the show-hosting Ringmaster.
Lee Mead, said: “I had such a brilliant time. I thought the story and characters were wonderful. And it had all these fantastic songs like Come Follow the Band, The Colours of My Life and There is a Sucker Born Ev’ry Minute.”
His friend Chris played Barnum in that production. Mead said: “He was a great Barnum, but I remember thinking, ‘It would be lovely to play that part one day.’”
Now, at 44, Mead’s childhood dream has come true. He headlines a lavish new UK tour of Barnum - The Circus Musical, stepping into the shoes of the legendary 19th-century showman who revolutionised entertainment through the Barnum & Bailey Circus.
Mead said: “It’s an absolute classic. I can’t quite believe I now get to play Barnum some 30 years after that school production. I think I must have somehow manifested it.”
Directed by Jonathan O’Boyle and choreographed by Strictly Come Dancing star Oti Mabuse the production features more than 20 actor-musicians, alongside acrobats and international circus acts.
Mead trained intensely for the tightrope work, which is performed seven feet above the stage without a harness.
Mead said: “It’s the kind of thing you learn at 24, not 44. You have to use your whole body, your core and every ounce of focus to get across the wire. But I like a challenge.”
Mead dedicates each performance to his grandparents Bert and Lil, who saved for over a year to see Barnum at the London Palladium. “They’d have been so proud,” he says.
Since rising to fame in 2007 as the BBC talent show Any Dream Will Do winner Mead has starred in West End hits including Wicked, Legally Blonde, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Chicago and Sister Act.
Yet he describes Barnum as “my most challenging role - an enormous part with huge monologues, so many songs and barely a moment off stage.”
As an actor he relishes exploring Barnum’s humanity. Mead said: “He was flawed, driven and passionate.
“He sometimes put his wife Charity to one side, yet he wanted to bring extraordinary acts to the world, like Joice Heth and General Tom Thumb. That tenacity is fascinating to portray.”
For Mead, stepping into Barnum’s shoes is the culmination of a career-long journey from school productions to West End stages and national tours.
Mead said: “I’m still in shock that I’ve landed this part. I can’t wait to take it around the country and see the smiles on the audience’s faces. Every performance is going to be magical.”
Tickets on general sale now at Winter Gardens.