SINGIN IN THE RAIN REVIEW
BRADFORD ALHAMBRA
WEDNESDAY 13TH JULY 2022 @ 2.00PM
*** 3/5
When one of the greatest movie musicals ever made was announced to be going on tour, I knew I had to book to see it. That meant travelling to a new destination: Bradford. It’s somewhere I’ve not been for years so I was intrigued to visit a new theatre to me. Here’s my Singin’ in the Rain review from Bradford Alhambra Theatre.
NOTE: I know this review is months old but I wanted to get it uploaded.
PRE-SHOW THOUGHTS
Singin’ in the Rain is probably in my top three movie musicals of all time. I adore Gene Kelly and think he’s one of the most talented men that has ever lived. However, when I see a movie musical on stage, I do try to forget about the movie version and not compare it. However, when it’s so iconic, it’s hard not to think of the characters portrayed.
THE CAST
I’ll start by saying this cast is very talented. Everyone can sing, dance, and act at the same time. The standout for me was Ross McLaren as Cosmo Brown. I’ve always thought it was the best character anyway but McLaren’s portrayal was exceptional. He has this effortless style when he tap-dances, just like Donald O’Connor did.
Sam Lips as Don Lockwood is a solid choice. He has style and talent up to his elbows and his partnership with McLaren is perfect. They really bounce off each other’s energy and whilst often doing the same choreography, they have very different styles.
The ladies of this show more than pull their weight too. Charlotte Gooch’s Kathy Selden is strong-willed and determined on her own but with Lips, they make a formidable team. She also moves effortlessly, just like Lips! You instantly like her but whilst a nice woman, she has her opinions and stands on her own two feet!
Rounding up the main cast is Jenny Gayner as Lina Lamont. She’s the funniest actor by far and has the whole audience howling from start to finish. I’d say the role of Lina is actually the trickiest role to play because it’s obvious that Gayner is immensely talented but acting like she is not!
THE PRODUCTION
Of course, the main highlight of this show is the choreography. I adored the mixture of classic choreography matching the movie but incorporating much more vast movement across the stage. I was expecting perfection and I got it!
The particular highlight was of course the title number. Whilst the number itself was phenomenal, the staging of it was even better! I was intrigued as to how they’d get rain on stage but the idea was magical. The centre stage area had a water draining system in place, which the stage crew used to clean up during the interval. Seriously, it was a sight to behold!
The costuming was another highlight. They were so true to the 1920s era and not a detail was missed. The wardrobe, hair, and make-up team worked seamlessly together to create such ideal looks.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Whilst I appreciated each individual element of the show, something was missing for me. It felt very much like a carbon copy of the movie musical, which is one of the greatest ever made. However, I was expecting more of a spectacle on the stage. There was a fairly large ensemble but they didn’t seem to fill the stage for the most part.
As I said, I adored the actors, the choreography, the costuming, and much more yet everything wasn’t blending quite well together. It might sound silly but something I can’t put my finger on was missing.
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