Barnum!
Dir: Peter Coe, Terry Hughes
1986
****
Made for TV and filmed on the stage, Michael Crawford's 1986 Musical extravaganza Barnum! remains a favorite among the few people who seem to have seen it. Michael Crawford's performance is astonishing. He is as energetic as you'd expect but his dramatic, darker moments are a far cry from his famous 'Some Mothers do 'ave 'em' Frank Spencer days. Made for TV and filmed on the stage shouldn't really work but somehow Barnum! does, I think only the energy of someone like Crawford could make it work and why it hasn't been successfully achieved since.