The London hit CHOIR OF MAN was the toast of the West End—now this set-in-a-pub sing-along show opens its doors in Greenville. Let’s look at what makes the islands’ pub culture so special. 

For CHOIR OF MAN, recreating the genuine pub culture vibe means there’s an actual working bar onstage (yes, beer on tap). The cast, who all play working-class lads you’d find in Any Pub UK, brings the world’s greatest pub, and its jukebox, to life. You’ll hear radio hits you know most of the lyrics to, from Guns ‘N’ Roses to Luther Vandross to Adele. Expect to find yourself singing along, grinning ear to ear.    

Pubs in the United Kingdom 

Imagine a time before cell phones, before Wi-Fi, before the internet even. There's no normalized adventure travel, no global tourism ... in fact, there are no airplanes or automobiles, subways, or trains. There’s just you, your shoes, maybe a horse and cart. Everyone’s whole worlds unfold within a few square miles of their homes, which are all located near-ish each other maybe in London, or Dublin, or Galway, but most likely in smaller hamlets and towns. Now that you’ve imagined yourself in this time-space, where do you think you’re going to meet up with your friends, get the town gossip, tell a few exaggerated tales, drink beer, and probably end up singing a few of your favorite traditional tunes?  

That’s right. You’re headed to the pub. And that’s where we’d be headed, too. The pub started as a community hub, and so it remains. When you step into Peace Concert Hall for CHOIR OF MAN on February 4, prepare to set foot in “the world’s greatest pub,” where you’re going to meet a group of pint-raising mates who are about to become your mates, too. 

The pub in the United Kingdom isn’t quite like the American bar, as you’ll notice once the lads start showing up onstage for CHOIR OF MAN. Pubs grew out of social necessity, as community gathering places for common folk, blooming from crossroads and town centers and sidewalks to become as much a part of a neighborhood or village as the people themselves. They were places to fill your cup literally and figuratively. In time, pubs earned their rightful station as historic landmarks (at least two English pubs date back to pre-Crusades), their graphic art and interior design are now proud emblems of identity and heritage.  

In keeping with this design aspect of the traditional pub, the set for CHOIR OF MAN preserves the look and feel of the old wooden bar, a line of taps with bright logos, colorful wallpaper, and distinctive, vintage typefaces. 

But along with the structures and time-capsule architecture, pub culture remains, at its core, about a community’s home—a sacred secular place where you’ll find the best of humanity: company, conversation, characters, and someone always ready to buy the next round. In fact, in these regards, it’s much like the Peace Concert Hall itself.  

“The Local”--What the Pub Means to the Community 

Pubs trace back to the Roman invasion of Britian, when they put up wine shops along the roads for thirsty soldiers. These “tabernae” evolved into their own distinct identities as alehouses and inns across England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. These “public houses” got shortened to “pubs,” and the Italian influence disappeared. What pubs have in common across the UK is that they’re the heart and soul of a community or neighborhood. They’re a home-away-from-home, a public living room of sorts where you can toss your feet up, let your hair down, and see all your favorite faces. 

When you find “your” pub, the place where you belong, the place where you want to be, and where your friends and family know they can find you if you’re not returning texts, that’s called your “local.” As in “Be back in a few, I’m going to the local.” And everybody knows which pub you mean. This term can also refer to the local pub, the neighborhood bar. (You can go to the local without it being your local, is what we’re saying.) 

From Scotland to England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Wales, the pub’s where you go for camaraderie—even if you don’t know anyone there. The best pubs extend a warm welcome in the atmosphere alone. You step inside and feel right at home. You can strike up a conversation with anyone, enjoy the wonky quirks of the building (and your fellow drinkers), watch the game, hear music, and partake in the time-honored tradition of escalating ale-soaked storytelling.  

We all know the theater encourages this same sort of community and fosters a camaraderie similar to the local. So when Peace Concert Hall becomes “the world’s greatest pub” for CHOIR OF MAN, you’ll get all the feels of the theater plus the thrills of singing along with old friends and just-met-friends to songs we all somehow know the lyrics to. This is a jukebox show in a pub, so there’ll be no sitting quietly with your hands in your lap for this one. 

Meet Us for a Pint at CHOIR OF MAN 

The spirit of the great pub—all that fun, that feeling of being free to be yourself, the music—that's what you’ll get at the CHOIR OF MAN. The creators wanted to capture the joyful essence of the pub at its most celebratory, when all the patrons are feeling good, and every song that comes on the jukebox is one you’re going to sing out loud. Self-consciousness is out the window—you're at the local now. 

It’s your pub culture experience, Peace Center style, and we hope to see you at THE CHOIR OF MAN. 

SHOW INFO