Singin' in the Rain

A popular, humorous and sparkling show which always goes down well with audiences, Singin' in the Rain well deserves its place in any list of musical theatre favourites. Technically tricky to pull off - scene changes galore, the need for deft choreography and of course, there's the rain to consider! - It’s a demanding show for any society to attempt, so full marks for Pendle Hippodrome Theatre Company for being brave enough to give it a whirl. Centring around the comical hi-jinks in Hollywood in the I920s, the show offers a society plenty of scope to show off its dancing, music and comedy skills and as well as being full of instantly recognisable tunes, the show also carries with it a weight of expectation which can be a burden to overcome and despite a valiant effort from the team at the Pendle Hippodrome, I'm not altogether convinced that this production managed to make its own mark or carve its own distinctive furrow...

Josh Hindle led the cast as Don Lockwood, the all-singing, all-dancing Hollywood star of the silver screen and impressed mightily with his all-round performing ability. Some superb dance routines -'Fit as a Fiddle' with Simon Jackson as Cosmo Brown was particularly memorable - really impressed and Josh handled the role with style and panache. Cathryn Osbome as Kathy Selden was also in fine voice and brought a sympathetic charm to the role which was impressive. Simon Jackson as Cosmo Brown brought a breathless enthusiasm to the character - if perhaps a smidgeon too much vibrato for my taste! - and was the equal of Josh in a number of well-devised routines. Helen Atkinson as Lina Lamont was comically inept as the half-witted actress whose inability to speak or sing without jarring the eardrums of the audience when talking pictures overtake silent movies: a super, show-stealing performance from Helen which had the audience chuckling away. A great characterization and a super performance. Smaller roles were carried off with enthusiasm - if varying degrees of success -by a large cast: Eric Beardsworth brought a loveably paternal touch to his portrayal of film boss RF Simpson and it is always a pleasure to see Laura Schofield on stage, on this occasion as Dora Bailey. One of the things that stood out in this production was the relative youth of many of the leading performers: as we know, many amateur societies seem reluctant to give their talented younger members that 'big break' (or in the case of some societies, struggle to attract any younger members at all!) but here was a show which really showcased the young, fresh, bright and talented.

Relatively simple but artfully managed scenery, effectively lit, helped to create an atmosphere on stage and kept the pace of the show moving along rather than slowing things up with ponderous scene changes, of which there are many. Full marks to the stage crew for an excellent job. There did seem to be some sound problems however, with mics coming and going and a number of sound cues going awry but this was maybe just on the evening I was there. Some superb choreography from Sarah Wade really shone: excellent group and solo routines really lifted the show and gave it a polished, professional edge. However... returning to the vaguely critical note sounded in the opening paragraph, I did feel that perhaps there was a certain something lacking in this production that it remains hard to put one's finger on: perhaps there was a tendency towards 'line-swapping' as opposed to really expressing a real feeling for the dialogue at times and some scenes did seem to progress with an air of 'let's get this over with'. Also, some of the filmed inserts of the various silent movie clips, although technically superb, did sometimes strike a slightly jarring note when placed alongside the action on stage. Perhaps these are slightly picky points to make but for me, they did seem to have an impact: where the show was successful, it really impressed but for me, a number of little niggling issues did prevent it from being a total triumph. Personal taste I dare say but there we are.

All in all, this was a production which excelled in certain respects - particularly the excellent choreography - and provided a large audience with a great evening's entertainment which, after all, is what amateur theatre is all about. As always, the super Hippodrome theatre was a delight to visit and the friendly and helpful front of house and backstage teams always go out of their way to ensure everyone is made welcome and work hard to keep this super venue as a local focus for top quality entertainment. You will have noticed that contrary to strict NODA report writing guidelines, I have managed to reach the end of the show report without a single feeble watery pun sullying the page: not so much as a splash of a mention of a damp squib or a torrent of rain related asides. The show - despite a few little niggles - went along swimmingly. Far be it for me to rain on the parade...

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