Singin' In The Rain

Described as a ‘good natured spoof ‘ this well-loved musical made the transition from film to stage in London in 1983 and starred Tommy Steele. Set in the age of the silent movies, the four main characters are forced to embrace the era of the talking picture.  This show has everything: singing; dancing; tap; humour; emotion; justice and of course, a love story. The theatre had comfortable seating and good viewing perspective but when the house is full, a larger foyer/bar area is needed to avoid a ‘bun fight’. However, to achieve a full house of over 300 is testament in itself to the popularity of LAMPS` productions.

The opening chorus number set the scene for a colourful and dynamic show.  The costumes were impressive, in keeping with the era and transported the audience to the twenties. The wigs however needed ‘dressing’ and teasing as some of the cast, especially Lina, looked as if they were wearing hats. Not all wore wigs, which lead to inconsistency. The black and white films added authenticity and the audience responded to the `hamming` with amusement. The recorded music inbetween some of the scene changes would have been easier on the ear had it not cut off so abruptly as this did interrupt the flow. I am sure the stage manager was tearing his hair out with the curtains but all credit to him and the technical crew for special effects and lighting designed by Harvey Ebbage. The rain was a lovely surprise.

Ian Blackmore (Don Lockwood) proved that he could dance, apparently not having danced before, so all credit to him for his entertaining and skilfully executed numbers. These were crisp, stylish and fluid. Ian’s stagecraft was solid but needed a little more dynamism to fully get the audience on his side. Liam Clarke (Cosmo Brown) offered an energetic and enthusiastic performance and both he and Ian ‘gelled’ well.  Liam used the stage with confidence and clearly understood the script. Speech was unclear at times not helped by the cold he was suffering, a slightly slower pace would have helped. Hollie Evans (Kathy Selden) gave a professional performance throughout and in all aspects. She evoked a range of emotion in a convincing and natural way. Abigail King (Lina Lamont) gave a consistently strong performance. She was clear; powerful; emphatic and with a convincing accent (how she managed not to lose her voice I do not know!). Her operatic background shone through but did not detract from her role.

Andrew Swann (vocal coach) added an entertaining dimension in a well-choreographed trio number which featured a ‘dancing’ office chair. Lisa Everett (Zelda Zanders) stood out as a dance lead and she gave a humorous portrayal as Lina’s assistant.  It is all too easy with such a character to overdo it and while she was fascinating, less would have been more in this instance. The chorus impressed not only with their dancing but the fact that they kept in character and maintained their acting even when down stage.  It was noticeable that they ‘worked’ the stage effectively and any negative space was meant.

Congratulations must go to Adele Ebbage, as Director and Choreographer, for making a success of a difficult show to stage.  

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