[Reviewed] If You Haven't Heard of Choir of Man, Click Here

Theater doesn't usually smell like beer. Choir of Man does. You walk into the auditorium and it hits you: hops, wood, that sticky-floor pub funk that says "home" if you're from anywhere in the British Isles, or "good idea, bad idea" if you're not. The conceit is simple – turn the stage into a pub, pour the audience a drink, and let nine guys sing the songs you belt out after your third round.

There is a "Pre-Show" where the audience can get up on the stage, chat, and have drinks with the cast members. If you're not shy, it's a good time. But even if you are, the cast is good-natured, so it's still a good time.

The Pub Trick

This isn't your typical musical. No one's pirouetting across the stage whispering about their feelings. These guys play their own instruments – guitars, trumpets, even a flute that makes a surprise appearance during Escape (The Piña Colada Song). One's tap-dancing while keeping rhythm, another's pulling off sleight-of-hand tricks between verses. It's all very "your mate Dave showing off at 1 a.m." except everyone's absurdly talented and rehearsed down to the eyebrow raise.

They toast the audience with a raucous "Gangbei!" every ten minutes. Everyone dutifully raises their glass. Sometimes with gusto, sometimes with the look of "yes, I get it, but my beer's almost empty." The trick works, though: for 90 minutes, you're in on it, part of the pub, even if you're stone sober.

Boys, But Not "Boys Will Be Boys"

The cast is painted broadly but cleverly: the gay one, the Mediterranean who loves Debussy, the burly guy barking about the game. The stereotypes are set up, then flipped.

One gent bellows for the boys to "settle down, the game's about to start" – only for the music to swell into Adele's Hello. The effect is electric: a heartfelt ballad about longing, sung by the gay character with goosebump-inducing mezzo support, buoyed by bass and baritone harmonies. It's one of many moments where the show subverts expectations, turning laddish stereotypes into something sophisticated. Goosebumps. Just when you were starting to smirk, they get you.

It's the emotional gut-punch of the show, nestled right between the dick-pic jokes and audience interactions, for which... the local Chinese seem to be totally at ease at hamming themselves up on the stage. At one point they drag a woman out of the crowd, serenade her, to which... she acts the smitten damsel, and poof, they hand her a piña colada. She loved it.

This is Choir of Man's sweet spot: turning laddish pub banter into something approachable and light. It's not "boys don't cry." It's "boys cry, drink, sing, hug, and then cry again." It's sincere without being preachy.

The Playlist

The song choices are designed for crowd buy-in. Sia. Avicii. Guns N'Roses, Kate Perry, Scottish and Irish folk numbers. A cappella one minute, seductive hip thrusts the next. The crowd-pleaser I Would Walk 500 Miles lands exactly where you think it will, and still works. By the closing number – a shocking rendition of a traditional Chinese ballad (they really nailed this) – the crowd is unleashing waves of applause and praise. The only thing missing was something from Fleetwood Mac.

Generational Hangover

Choir of Man is, very obviously, a millennial product. The whole vibe is "we've inherited a dumpster fire, but hey, let's at least sing about it."

You can feel it in the irony, the nostalgia, the pensive reflection laced with bursts of joy. They're not just singing pop hits; they're channeling the "alright now, let's all have a round" spirit of a generation that has to swipe left or right for romance, has had forever wars, economic recessions, and pandemics on top of dealing with boomer politics and Gen X cynicism. They're not solving climate change. They're saying: we've had a few pints, we've lost some parents and pets, we're still here, and we're still singing. The show is cheerful and earnest in driving the audience toward what is, in pub culture, the most important thing: connection. It's dancing, drinking, and harmonizing as a gentle reminder to stop doomscrolling and encourage you to get off your phone and have a few drinks down at the pub with your best mates.

Bottom Line

You don't need to like musicals to like this. It's not really one. It's more like stumbling into the best pub of your life, where everyone can sing, no one's an arsehole, and the pints never run dry. Guys, you'll have a good time, and so will your dates.

Food & Drinks:

Be sure to roll up 30-45 minutes before curtain call. They have a few make-shift "bars" which serve drinks before the show in the theatre foyer. Also, Pistolera has a pop-up slinging tacos, burritos and nachos.

I had some extra time after the show and decided to harass two Fudan students about their thoughts.

Gaia, from Italy, studying Journalism at Fudan University

The first thing I remember from the show was this sentence: Home is something you can pack and bring with you. And for me, this was exactly how I felt during the show. I just arrived in Shanghai two weeks ago, I've barely unpacked, so that line meant something to me. I felt very welcome, very at home, and it was an incredible night.

To me, it was not just a show – it felt like stepping into a very Irish pub, full of friends. There was laughter, but also a lot of energy, a lot of companionship. What I really enjoyed, actually was being part of the crowd, feeling like one single voice with people I had never met in my life. Just sharing this pure, amazing emotion of energy and harmony– that is music.

Steve, 27, from the UK, studying journalism at Fudan University

The show was an experience I will remember for a long time. As a Brit, pub culture is part of life in the UK. And watching the show, specifically in Shanghai, made me appreciate it even more, as a Brit reflecting on life back home. Many of the references were specific to the UK. It made me feel a bit nostalgic for home. On top of this, the performance was so well done that it united audience attendees from two sides of the world, allowing everyone to share in the same joy. Definitely worth going to.

Want to go? Check here to get tickets.

The show runs until October 19, with ticket prices ranging from 180 yuan to 880 yuan.