Newcastle Theatre Royal, 04/05/2022
Do-do-do-do! Get your umbrellas and find the closest lamppost, Singin’ In The Rain is back on another UK tour! We were kindly invited to see the show at Newcastle Theatre Royal and were so excited to experience it as we adore the 1952 film it is based on.
Set in 1927 Hollywood, the story follows co-stars of the silver screen Don Lockwood (Sam Lips) and Lina Lamont (Faye Tozer) adapting to a new age of cinema, talking pictures. Only Lamont’s voice isn’t best suited to this new era and too many people people don’t have the heart to tell her.
Read on for our five reasons to see Singin’ In The Rain…
1. The Choreography
Fans of the original film will know that this musical is heavily filled with dance numbers. The cast in this production do an outstanding job with the choreography from the offset as the show begins with a completely choreographed overture which really sets the tone for the style of the musical you’re about to experience. The choreographed overture makes a welcome change to an empty stage during the opening music. The movement of our leading trio (Sam Lips as Don Lockwood, Ross McLaren as Cosmo Brown and Charlotte Gooch as Kathy Selden) is absolutely captivating as they don’t put a foot wrong the entire time. Their dance scenes together are excellent, ‘Good Morning’ being a particular favourite receiving raucous applause.
2. The set piece you’re all waiting for
Placed right before the interval (and you’ll understand why) and just after some ominous thunder and lightning effects, as soon as the unmistakable “do-do-do-do” ditty is uttered by Don (Lips) the heads of the adoring audience begin to sway, the title number has begun! What starts as a light shower, the rain that pours just doesn’t seem to show any signs of stopping as Lips skips around the stage allowing the audience to feel like they are in that iconic scene that everybody has such an affection for. It really is the most joyful and immersive experience to end the first act.
3. The score is timeless
This tour marks 70 years since the release of the original film starring Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds, and we are sure that 70 years from now, the music that accompanies this show will still be loved as it is today. The orchestra (strategically placed stage-left to avoid any splashes!) play the score beautifully and each melody has such poetic grace to it we could listen to this show be played the whole night through!
4. It’s the most beautiful show
The costumes and scenes throughout this production are really stunning but a standout scene for it’s beauty is the number ‘You Were Meant for Me’ which sees Don (Lips) and Kathy (Gooch) perform a wonderful dance number in an empty film studio but for a stepladder, low lying fog all coloured with gorgeous lights and backlit by the Hollywoodland hills above the rear wall. The whole scene is heavenly and a feast for the senses as the pair effortlessly glide around the stage to the most gorgeous music.
5. Don and Cosmo’s relationship
From the beginning of this show until the very end we see a lifelong friendship between Don (Lips) and Cosmo (McLaren). From their humble beginnings with ‘Fit as a Fiddle’ to the final scene they are there for one another throughout. The bond between the characters is so tight you can’t help but smile in the scenes they share. Ross McLaren does a fantastic job as Cosmo providing a lot of the jokes, especially in ‘Make ‘Em Laugh’ where he showcases his singing talent, great choreography and hilarious slapstick all at the same time with so much energy. It’s worth a special mention also to Faye Tozer who brings such great comedy to the show too with her portrayal of Lina Lamont and her great voice work!
In summary, Singin’ in the rain is such a spectacle from beginning to end. Every cast member works tirelessly to give an outstanding performance and it shows. The music, dancing and comedy are all absolutely perfect and this adaptation of the global hit film is exactly as it should be, transporting every audience to the roaring 20’s of Hollywood. Don’t miss out on this amazing show where it can be seen at Newcastle Theatre Royal until Saturday 7th May. Tickets and remaining dates can be found by clicking here!
The Stagey Couple 