SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
REVIEW
✭✭✭✭✭ 5/5
Cliffs Pavilion, Southend on Sea
from 5-9th April 2022
REVIEW
✭✭✭✭✭ 5/5
Cliffs Pavilion, Southend on Sea
from 5-9th April 2022
Grab your umbrellas! A huge downpour of talent is cascading over The Cliffs Pavillion all this week! Tonight, I had the unbridled pleasure of seeing that beloved stalwart of musical theatre, Singin’ In The Rain. My expectations of this iconic show were considerably high, but I am thrilled to report that this production, directed by Jonathan Church, exceeded them all.
Singin’ In The Rain takes place in the roaring twenties, Hollywood, where silent picture superstar, Don Lockwood, comes to terms with the introduction of the talking picture, affectionately known as ‘The Talkie.’ This revolution in cinema could render Don a thing of the past and shatter his glorious career. However, with the help of love interest Kathy Selden and whacky, wise-cracking sidekick Cosmo Brown, the trailblazing trio bring the first ever musical motion picture to the silver screen. The 1952 film of the same name, immortalised by the dynamic dancing of the legendary Gene Kelly, has dazzled and inspired audiences for decades. This incarnation of the toe-tapping tale does not disappoint in doing the same.
The truly heartwarming story is told by a sublime cast, specifically the four larger than life leads. Sam Lips takes on the role of Don Lockwood, a part which arguably defined the term ‘triple threat’, with style and charm. His velvety voice could soften the hardest of hearts and his dance during the titular number, in a live waterfall of rain, was a joy to behold. I just hope the chap doesn’t catch pneumonia! Charlotte Gooch makes for an enchanting Kathy Selden and brings a lot of refreshing ideas to a character that could be seen as one dimensional. Her rendition of ‘Lucky Star’ was particularly moving. Ross McLaren is electrifying as funnyman Cosmo Brown and his exhilarating performance of ‘Make ‘Em Laugh’ will…make you laugh! The fabulous foursome is rounded up by Jenny Gayner, who is suitably wicked and hilarious in the role of devilish diva, Lina Lamont.
Singin’ In The Rain takes place in the roaring twenties, Hollywood, where silent picture superstar, Don Lockwood, comes to terms with the introduction of the talking picture, affectionately known as ‘The Talkie.’ This revolution in cinema could render Don a thing of the past and shatter his glorious career. However, with the help of love interest Kathy Selden and whacky, wise-cracking sidekick Cosmo Brown, the trailblazing trio bring the first ever musical motion picture to the silver screen. The 1952 film of the same name, immortalised by the dynamic dancing of the legendary Gene Kelly, has dazzled and inspired audiences for decades. This incarnation of the toe-tapping tale does not disappoint in doing the same.
The truly heartwarming story is told by a sublime cast, specifically the four larger than life leads. Sam Lips takes on the role of Don Lockwood, a part which arguably defined the term ‘triple threat’, with style and charm. His velvety voice could soften the hardest of hearts and his dance during the titular number, in a live waterfall of rain, was a joy to behold. I just hope the chap doesn’t catch pneumonia! Charlotte Gooch makes for an enchanting Kathy Selden and brings a lot of refreshing ideas to a character that could be seen as one dimensional. Her rendition of ‘Lucky Star’ was particularly moving. Ross McLaren is electrifying as funnyman Cosmo Brown and his exhilarating performance of ‘Make ‘Em Laugh’ will…make you laugh! The fabulous foursome is rounded up by Jenny Gayner, who is suitably wicked and hilarious in the role of devilish diva, Lina Lamont.
What I adore most about this production is the way the creative team have breathed new life into a traditional musical, whilst still protecting and promoting its heritage. Don’s original serenading to Kathy, ‘You Stepped Out Of A Dream,’ is now shared among a slew of soloists with the number reaching heavenly harmonies. Also, the fan favourite ‘Moses Supposes’ goes in a new direction. Usually the song sees Don and Cosmo performing a tenacious tap routine, much to the chagrin of Don’s stuffy dialect coach. Yet in this version, the coach joins in the tenacity, turning the treasured two-way tap into a three way tap-a-palooza. Special mention to Alastair Crosswell who played the frazzled phonetic professor. The ballet in Act Two is incandescent and will transport you back to the glorious golden age of cinema.
I would have preferred the dialogue to be pacier at times, but this is a very minor critique of a show that delights on every level.
Fittingly, as I left the theatre, the heavens opened. I not so much walked as danced to my car and, I don’t mind telling you, it wasn’t long before I too was singing in the rain.
REVIEW: Jonny Buxton
I would have preferred the dialogue to be pacier at times, but this is a very minor critique of a show that delights on every level.
Fittingly, as I left the theatre, the heavens opened. I not so much walked as danced to my car and, I don’t mind telling you, it wasn’t long before I too was singing in the rain.
REVIEW: Jonny Buxton
INTERVIEW with
JENNY GAYNER
who is playing Lina Lamont in the
UK TOUR of
SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
coming to the
Cliffs Pavilion, Southend on Sea
from 5-9th April 2022
JENNY GAYNER
who is playing Lina Lamont in the
UK TOUR of
SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
coming to the
Cliffs Pavilion, Southend on Sea
from 5-9th April 2022
|
We saw on your Instagram that you had a great time in Tokyo with Singin’ in the Rain. You’ve toured with shows quite a bit, do you have a favourite City, aside from Southend now of course, as we are now a City!
Of course it’s Southend! As Dorothy would say “ There’s no place like home”! However, there are some other wonderful pLaces too. I love Canterbury, it’s so beautiful, I will always have a boat trip on the canal and re-listen to the history of place. I also have a soft spot for Dublin. I am a sucker for live Irish music. I can’t go without mentioning London. Playing the West End is always sublime. You have quite a close association with Leigh Operatic Society here in Southend, how did you get involved with them and what roles did you play? I was a child guest when I was ten years old, for Half a Sixpence, and I fell in love with the company and performing. You were supposed to be sixteen to become a full member but I was allowed in at fourteen, I don’t think I would have taken no for an answer! My parents, John and Marilyn Gayner, were both a member of Southend Operatic, so Amateur Dramatics ran in the family. I was a very young member, so I was mainly ensemble. However, I did play the child role of Dinah Lord in High Society. Other shows included, Grease, Hello Dolly, Chess, West Side Story, The Merry Widow and Cabaret. Did you go to drama school and if so, what was the most important or memorable thing you learnt there? Yes, I went to The Arts Educational London Schools. (Arts Ed). I learnt you have to work hard and grow a thick skin! |
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As well as stage/theatre work, you’ve also done a bit of telly too, what do you prefer? Where do you feel most at home?
I have actually just finished shooting a new Amazon Prime drama, out this year. It’s all a bit hush-hush at the moment. I have a few films on Amazon Prime, which I am proud of.
Playing Gillian Taylfoth in The Trial, opposite John Sessions, was an incredible privilege. To perform gritty court room scenes with an iconic actor such as John was something most actors can only dream about.
It’s very hard to compare the two as they are both such different mediums. The thrill of performing live is something money can’t buy, but being in front of a camera is a completely different skill which I love, equally.
As I get older, goals and ambitions change… but we shall see which direction the wind takes me!
We last saw you in Southend in panto as the wonderful Fairy Godmother in Cinderella. Was it as much fun playing that role as it looked and what was it like sharing the stage with the hilarious Brian Conley? Was there a lot of corpsing on stage?
I really enjoyed that panto, even if is exceptionally hard work! We were doing fourteen shows a week at times, hence having a blow up bed in my dressing room to grab naps in-between the shows.
It really is fun, but you have to pace yourself. No going out after the show. Well, for me anyway. I like to make sure I keep all my energy for the shows and protect my health as much as possible.
I have worked with Brian and the two Ugly Sisters before, Ben Stock and Neal Wright, and we have a great friendship. Going to work with your friends makes all the difference to a Panto season.
As for corpsing, yes. Brian is very naughty sometimes! Once, one of the pyros (stage fireworks which go off every time I entered) set fire to a speaker, so I ran off to get help and comedy ensued with a fire extinguisher. As they say “ the show must go on”.
We’re thrilled that you’re coming back to Southend with Singin’ in the Rain. Can you tell us a bit about your character, Lina, and how you have made the role your own?
Lina is the main antagonist. She plays a famous silent- movie star. On screen she appears as a glamorous, refined and loving actress, but in real life she is anything but. She believes the world revolves around her.
However, there is a side to Lina that is very naive. This allows the audience to warm to her.
We have to believe she really is a glamorous actress, she just happens to have the most atrocious voice!
The key with Lina is to play the truth. I love comedy, and making people laugh, so this is a gift of a role for me.
Singin’ in the Rain is famous for the ‘rain scene’. How on earth does that get that to happen every night?
Now, if I tell you, I’d have to kill you! Kidding! There are 14,000 litres of water in a tank back stage.
From the beginning of the show, there is a preset level of five centimetres of water sitting within the reservoir area below the stage decking, then a combination of pumps and rain from above floods the stage in one minute. If you are in the front few rows I suggest you wear a rain Mac. They aren’t called the Splash Seats for nothing!
What will be the first place you’ll want to visit when you come to Southend?
After I catch up with my dearest Mum and Dad and our doggie, Bailey Boy, I’ll have a lovely walk along the beaches and grab myself a Rossi’s ice-cream. Heavenly!
Will you have lots of friends and family come to see you in the show?
I am such lucky girl to be able to say yes. When I did ANNIE at The Cliffs in 2019 I have nearly one hundred and thirty people come, and about the same are coming to Singin’ in the Rain. Some are close friends and some are friends I haven’t see for decades, but always kindly support me. It always blows me away the amount of love and support I get for the local community. I cannot thank them all enough. For where would we be without friends and family?
INTERVIEW: KIM TOBIN
I have actually just finished shooting a new Amazon Prime drama, out this year. It’s all a bit hush-hush at the moment. I have a few films on Amazon Prime, which I am proud of.
Playing Gillian Taylfoth in The Trial, opposite John Sessions, was an incredible privilege. To perform gritty court room scenes with an iconic actor such as John was something most actors can only dream about.
It’s very hard to compare the two as they are both such different mediums. The thrill of performing live is something money can’t buy, but being in front of a camera is a completely different skill which I love, equally.
As I get older, goals and ambitions change… but we shall see which direction the wind takes me!
We last saw you in Southend in panto as the wonderful Fairy Godmother in Cinderella. Was it as much fun playing that role as it looked and what was it like sharing the stage with the hilarious Brian Conley? Was there a lot of corpsing on stage?
I really enjoyed that panto, even if is exceptionally hard work! We were doing fourteen shows a week at times, hence having a blow up bed in my dressing room to grab naps in-between the shows.
It really is fun, but you have to pace yourself. No going out after the show. Well, for me anyway. I like to make sure I keep all my energy for the shows and protect my health as much as possible.
I have worked with Brian and the two Ugly Sisters before, Ben Stock and Neal Wright, and we have a great friendship. Going to work with your friends makes all the difference to a Panto season.
As for corpsing, yes. Brian is very naughty sometimes! Once, one of the pyros (stage fireworks which go off every time I entered) set fire to a speaker, so I ran off to get help and comedy ensued with a fire extinguisher. As they say “ the show must go on”.
We’re thrilled that you’re coming back to Southend with Singin’ in the Rain. Can you tell us a bit about your character, Lina, and how you have made the role your own?
Lina is the main antagonist. She plays a famous silent- movie star. On screen she appears as a glamorous, refined and loving actress, but in real life she is anything but. She believes the world revolves around her.
However, there is a side to Lina that is very naive. This allows the audience to warm to her.
We have to believe she really is a glamorous actress, she just happens to have the most atrocious voice!
The key with Lina is to play the truth. I love comedy, and making people laugh, so this is a gift of a role for me.
Singin’ in the Rain is famous for the ‘rain scene’. How on earth does that get that to happen every night?
Now, if I tell you, I’d have to kill you! Kidding! There are 14,000 litres of water in a tank back stage.
From the beginning of the show, there is a preset level of five centimetres of water sitting within the reservoir area below the stage decking, then a combination of pumps and rain from above floods the stage in one minute. If you are in the front few rows I suggest you wear a rain Mac. They aren’t called the Splash Seats for nothing!
What will be the first place you’ll want to visit when you come to Southend?
After I catch up with my dearest Mum and Dad and our doggie, Bailey Boy, I’ll have a lovely walk along the beaches and grab myself a Rossi’s ice-cream. Heavenly!
Will you have lots of friends and family come to see you in the show?
I am such lucky girl to be able to say yes. When I did ANNIE at The Cliffs in 2019 I have nearly one hundred and thirty people come, and about the same are coming to Singin’ in the Rain. Some are close friends and some are friends I haven’t see for decades, but always kindly support me. It always blows me away the amount of love and support I get for the local community. I cannot thank them all enough. For where would we be without friends and family?
INTERVIEW: KIM TOBIN
SAM LIPS to star as Don Lockwood, CHARLOTTE GOOCH as Kathy Selden, ROSS McLAREN as Cosmo Brown and JENNY GAYNER as Lina Lamont
A smash hit in Chichester, in the West End and most recently Sadler’s Wells, Michael Harrison and Jonathan Church present Chichester Festival Theatre and Stage Entertainment’s production of Singin’ in the Rain and are today delighted to announce casting for its major UK and Ireland 2022 tour.
Leading this glorious production are Sam Lips as Don Lockwood (Broadway and US credits include CATS, Chicago, West, Side Story, On the Town and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. UK credits include Strictly Ballroom); Charlotte Gooch (Strictly Ballroom and Top Hat in the West End, Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story on Stage, first UK Tour and West End) as aspiring actress Kathy Selden; Ross McLaren (Sleepless, Troubadour Theatre; BIG The Musical and White Christmas at the Dominion Theatre) as Don’s slapstick sidekick Cosmo Brown and Jenny Gayner (The Girls, Chicago and Spamalot in the West End and Annie and The Rocky Horror Show on tour) as the strangulated silver-screen siren, Lina Lamont.
Further casting includes Sandra Dickinson, who will appear as Dora Bailey, Michael Matus as Roscoe Dexter and Imogen Brooke as Zelda Zanders. The ensemble features Briana Craig, Alastair Crosswell, Lavinia Fitzpatrick, Alex Given, Ryan Gover, Ashleigh Graham, Thomas Inge, Robin Kent, Joshua Lovell, George Lyons, Amonik Melaco, Ashleigh Morris, Peter Nash, Dale Rapley, Molly Rees-Howe, Harriet Samuel-Gray, Heather Scott-Martin, Megan Speirs, Ben Whitnall, and Ellie May Wilson.
A smash hit in Chichester, in the West End and most recently Sadler’s Wells, Michael Harrison and Jonathan Church present Chichester Festival Theatre and Stage Entertainment’s production of Singin’ in the Rain and are today delighted to announce casting for its major UK and Ireland 2022 tour.
Leading this glorious production are Sam Lips as Don Lockwood (Broadway and US credits include CATS, Chicago, West, Side Story, On the Town and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. UK credits include Strictly Ballroom); Charlotte Gooch (Strictly Ballroom and Top Hat in the West End, Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story on Stage, first UK Tour and West End) as aspiring actress Kathy Selden; Ross McLaren (Sleepless, Troubadour Theatre; BIG The Musical and White Christmas at the Dominion Theatre) as Don’s slapstick sidekick Cosmo Brown and Jenny Gayner (The Girls, Chicago and Spamalot in the West End and Annie and The Rocky Horror Show on tour) as the strangulated silver-screen siren, Lina Lamont.
Further casting includes Sandra Dickinson, who will appear as Dora Bailey, Michael Matus as Roscoe Dexter and Imogen Brooke as Zelda Zanders. The ensemble features Briana Craig, Alastair Crosswell, Lavinia Fitzpatrick, Alex Given, Ryan Gover, Ashleigh Graham, Thomas Inge, Robin Kent, Joshua Lovell, George Lyons, Amonik Melaco, Ashleigh Morris, Peter Nash, Dale Rapley, Molly Rees-Howe, Harriet Samuel-Gray, Heather Scott-Martin, Megan Speirs, Ben Whitnall, and Ellie May Wilson.
Don Lockwood is a silent movie star with everything he could want – fame, adulation and a well-publicised ‘romance’ with his co-star Lina Lamont. But Hollywood is about to change forever. There is rumour in the studio of a new kind of film, where the actors actually talk … and sing … and dance. Can Don and the uniquely voiced Lina make the transition, and will chorus girl Kathy Selden fulfil her dream of stardom and capture Don’s heart along the way?
Directed by Jonathan Church, Singin’ in the Rain opens at Canterbury’s Marlowe Theatre on Thursday 17th March 2022, before visiting Woking, New Victoria Theatre; Southend, Cliffs Pavilion; Milton Keynes, Milton Keynes Theatre; Edinburgh, Festival Theatre; Newcastle, Theatre Royal; Manchester, Opera House; Bristol, Bristol Hippodrome; Cardiff, Wales Millennium Centre; Dublin, Bord Gais Energy Theatre; Birmingham, Birmingham Hippodrome; Southampton, Mayflower Theatre; Liverpool, Empire Theatre; London, New Wimbledon Theatre; Nottingham, Concert Hall; Bradford, Alhambra Theatre; Sheffield, Lyceum Theatre; Aberdeen, His Majesty’s Theatre; Glasgow, King’s Theatre concluding at Plymouth’s Theatre Royal in August.
Singin’ in the Rain features songs by Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed, including Make ‘em Laugh, Good Morning, Moses Supposes and Singin’ in the Rain. Original screenplay and adaptations are by Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Reuniting the original Chichester production team, Singin’ in the Rain will be directed by Jonathan Church, with Olivier Award-nominated choreography by Andrew Wright. The production is designed by Simon Higlett, with lighting by Tim Mitchell. Stuart Burt is Casting Director. Please see here for full cast biographies.
Directed by Jonathan Church, Singin’ in the Rain opens at Canterbury’s Marlowe Theatre on Thursday 17th March 2022, before visiting Woking, New Victoria Theatre; Southend, Cliffs Pavilion; Milton Keynes, Milton Keynes Theatre; Edinburgh, Festival Theatre; Newcastle, Theatre Royal; Manchester, Opera House; Bristol, Bristol Hippodrome; Cardiff, Wales Millennium Centre; Dublin, Bord Gais Energy Theatre; Birmingham, Birmingham Hippodrome; Southampton, Mayflower Theatre; Liverpool, Empire Theatre; London, New Wimbledon Theatre; Nottingham, Concert Hall; Bradford, Alhambra Theatre; Sheffield, Lyceum Theatre; Aberdeen, His Majesty’s Theatre; Glasgow, King’s Theatre concluding at Plymouth’s Theatre Royal in August.
Singin’ in the Rain features songs by Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed, including Make ‘em Laugh, Good Morning, Moses Supposes and Singin’ in the Rain. Original screenplay and adaptations are by Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Reuniting the original Chichester production team, Singin’ in the Rain will be directed by Jonathan Church, with Olivier Award-nominated choreography by Andrew Wright. The production is designed by Simon Higlett, with lighting by Tim Mitchell. Stuart Burt is Casting Director. Please see here for full cast biographies.
This production of Singin’ in the Rain opened at Chichester Festival Theatre and extended due to unprecedented public demand, before a transfer to London which received huge critical acclaim and four Olivier Award nominations.
It played to more than 750,000 people…. some leaving the theatre a little wetter than when they arrived! In fact the iconic rain scenes:
It played to more than 750,000 people…. some leaving the theatre a little wetter than when they arrived! In fact the iconic rain scenes:
- Use 6k litres of water, equivalent to 5 tonnes (here's a list of things which also weigh 5 tonnes: 2 Rhinos, 11 Grand Pianos or 30 Panda Bears!)
- Uses over 100 metres of heavy duty rubber hose
- Takes 15 minutes to drain. Afterwards it is recovered, it is then re-cycled, cleaned and used again
- Heats the water to 37 degrees for performer comfort!
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Twitter: @intherainsocial
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