'Barnum is the most challenging role of my career' - Lee Mead stars as lead in Barum at the Winter Gardens
Lee Mead is set to take centre stage at the Winter Gardens Blackpool this week as he brings the role of PT Barnum to life in the hit musical Barnum-a production he says is both “the most challenging” and “the most rewarding” of his career.
Speaking ahead of the show’s run in Blackpool, Lee Mead said the musical charts the extraordinary life of Phineas Taylor Barnum, the 19th-century showman who pioneered the travelling circus.
He said: “He was a real businessman and a genius in many ways,” adding that Barnum’s legacy still resonates today in a production that has stood the test of time since its major revival success in the 1980s.
The show blends classic musical theatre with authentic circus performance, including trapeze, stilts and tightrope walking - something Mead has had to master himself. “It’s been the hardest role of my career,” he admitted.
“I’m two metres above the ground on a six-metre wire that’s only a centimetre thick. It usually takes years to learn, but I trained for nine months every day.
“It’s a really interesting character to play in a musical because it’s got a great book and script, and it’s stood the test of time. The original production had Michael Crawford in 1981 at the London Palladium, and it’s amazing that all these years later it’s still going strong with fresh productions and standing ovations across the country.”
He added that even now, the walk is unpredictable: “Sometimes I don’t make it across first time-but that’s part of the moment for the audience.”
Despite the physical demands, Mead says the payoff is worth it, especially when the audience responds to the finale with standing ovations.
The production also features well-known songs including Colours of My Life and Join the Circus, which he describes as “beautiful, uplifting and full of energy.”
Lee is also looking forward to returning to Blackpool, a town he describes as a “home from home” thanks to its seaside setting and strong entertainment heritage. “Blackpool is perfect for this kind of show,” he said. “It’s got that variety, circus, family feel-so it really fits.”
He added that audiences of all ages have embraced the production, from young children discovering Barnum’s story for the first time to older theatre-goers who remember earlier stage versions. “It really does cross generations,” he said.
When asked to sum up Barnum, Mead chose three words: “Triumphant, passionate and complex,” acknowledging the character’s ambition, flaws and enduring drive to entertain.
All the latest news and top stories from across Blackpool and the Fylde coast directly to your phone.
Never miss a thing.Click here to join
Barnum runs at the Winter Gardens Blackpool from next week, promising a high-energy night of spectacle, music and circus magic.
The musical Barnum, starring Lee Mead as P.T. Barnum, will run at the Winter Gardens Blackpool Opera House.
Performances run from Tuesday 9 June to Saturday 13 June 2026.
- Tue 9 June – 7:30pm
- Wed 10 June – 2:30pm, 7:30pm
- Thu 11 June – 2:30pm, 7:30pm
- Fri 12 June – 7:30pm
- Sat 13 June – 2:30pm, 7:30pm
Ticket prices
- From £18.83 (off-peak pricing)
- Up to around £24.45+ for peak performances