PHINEAS T Barnum may have been “America’s greatest showman” – his biography sold second only to the Bible in his lifetime – but Barnum is not America’s greatest ever musical.

Hence the smaller-than-usual audience for a Leeds Grand touring musical on Monday night at the start of its second week.

Nevertheless, this Cameron Mackintosh/Chichester Festival Theatre production gives it every chance of success with spectacular set designs, dazzling circus feats beneath the big top and a shining star turn from Brian Conley.

“Barnum’s the name, P T Barnum, and I want to tell you that tonight, on this stage, you are going to see – bar none – every sight, wonder and miracle that name stands for,” says Conley’s deep-voiced, warmly entertaining, twinkling Barnum, who spins humbug in a far more appealing, quick-witted manner than 21st century politicians.

He needs a little of that humbug to cover this biographical 19th century tale’s musical failings: the lack of knock-out songs in the weaker second half, with nothing to match its opening Come Follow The Band.

Earlier, however, Conley excels in Barnum’s There Is A Sucker Born Ev’ry Minute and Linzi Hateley’s duet with Conley on The Colors Of My Life is a delight, while Kimberly Blake’s Swedish songbird Jenny Lind hits the heights, taking to the air in the operatic Love Makes Such Fools Of Us All.

Conley and all around him work flat out throughout, making this a good, but not quite Carling evocation of Barnum’s “Greatest Show On Earth”.

Barnum, Leeds Grand Theatre, until Saturday. Box office: 0844 848 2700 or leedsgrandtheatre.com