A pub on stage. Nine men. Queen, Adele, Guns N’ Roses and Paul Simon. Add tap dancing, big harmonies, a few surprisingly moving stories and free beer, and you begin to get the idea.

The Choir of Man is coming to Richmond Theatre from 25–29 August 2026, bringing its unusual mix of gig, musical and night at the pub to south-west London. The show arrives after more than 1,000 West End performances and an Olivier Award nomination.

If you are looking for something fun to do in Richmond at the end of the summer, this is worth knowing about.

1. The whole thing happens in a pub

Not a pretend pub tucked away in one scene. The pub is the show.

The action takes place in The Jungle, where nine characters gather to sing, tell stories, dance and generally recreate the atmosphere of a very musical local.

That makes The Choir of Man feel less like a conventional West End musical and more like being invited into the middle of a particularly good night out.

There are foot-stomping singalongs, close harmonies and some seriously impressive tap dancing, but there are quieter moments too.

It is noisy, warm-hearted and deliberately informal.

2. The playlist is ridiculously good

You don’t need to learn a soundtrack before you go.

The show uses music associated with Queen, Adele, Guns N’ Roses, Paul Simon, Sia, Luther Vandross, Avicii and Katy Perry.

That means the musical jumps from rock to pop to soul rather than sticking to one artist or decade.

And because the songs are reworked around male voices, harmonies and live performance, they don’t simply feel like karaoke versions of familiar hits.

Half the fun is waiting to find out what they are going to tackle next.

3. It’s not really a jukebox musical

The songs are the obvious attraction, but they aren’t the whole point.

Each member of the group has his own character – the Poet, the Joker, the Hard Man, the Romantic and others – and the music is mixed with stories about friendship, individuality and belonging.

That gives the evening more heart than you might expect from a show whose starting point is essentially “nine blokes in a pub”.

There is also plenty happening physically, with dance and tap woven into the performances rather than added as an afterthought.

You can come for the music and still leave remembering the people.

4. It has already become a bit of a phenomenon

Richmond isn’t getting an untested touring production.

The Choir of Man has played three sold-out seasons at Sydney Opera House, toured extensively in the US and Europe and enjoyed more than 1,000 performances in London’s West End.

It also received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play.

That is an impressive journey for a show that began with such a simple idea.

Its first UK and Ireland tour now gives audiences outside central London a chance to see what all the fuss has been about.

5. Yes, there really is free beer

This may be the detail that finally persuades you.

The show really does include free beer.

It fits the whole idea of The Choir of Man: the audience isn’t supposed to feel as though it is sitting quietly on the outside of the action.

Everything is designed to recreate some of the warmth and communal atmosphere of a good pub – just with considerably better singing.

And Richmond is a pretty good place to make an evening of it. Have dinner or a drink around Richmond Green, then head into the beautiful Richmond Theatre, which dates from 1899 and was designed by celebrated theatre architect Frank Matcham.

The Choir of Man at Richmond Theatre

The Choir of Man runs at Richmond Theatre from Tuesday 25 to Saturday 29 August 2026.

The touring cast includes performers whose previous credits include Hamilton, Chicago, The Lion King, Blood Brothers, Kinky Boots and the West End production of The Choir of Man.

But perhaps the best way to approach it is without worrying too much about who’s playing whom.

Go for Queen. Go for Adele. Go for the tap dancing. Go because somebody has somehow turned a trip to the pub into a successful West End show.

And, yes, you can go for the beer too.

Find tickets and further information at Richmond Theatre.