Singin’ in the Rain

Singin’ in the Rain continues at Upstairs at the Gatehouse, London until 25 January.
Although everybody remembers Gene Kelly’s magical dancing-in-rain, splashing-in-puddles, getting-soaked routine from the timeless 1952 Hollywood movie, it was London that eventually translated Betty Comden and Adolph Green’s screenplay into a stage musical when Tommy Steele directed and starred in it at the Palladium in the 1980s.
It ran for well over two years then as a vehicle for one-time pop idol Steele to demonstrate his triple-threat versatility and there have been several West End revivals since, the latest coming with the Chichester Festival Theatre version that lasted until mid-2013.
And here it is again as the Gatehouse’s Christmas show, sending everybody out into a cold December night with a warm glow and feeling very much more capable of dealing with the rigorous week’s festivities ahead than they did a couple of hours earlier.
And although the upper deck of the Gatehouse pub could not hope to replicate the sheer volume of water expended on the film or indeed at the Palladium (where such was the noise of the rain effect and the fear of it causing short-circuiting microphones that Steele had to mime the title song to a tape recording), director John Plews and water expert Alasdair Elliot’s pared-down version does the job perfectly well.
And while it is an incredibly silly story, it does highlight what the end of the silent-movie era in the 1920s meant to actors with voices like corncrakes and accents like New Jersey fishwives. Unless they mastered the ‘new cinema’ they were toast.
Lina, played with a wonderful disregard for the English language by Thea Jo Wolfe, is based on silent star Norma Talmadge, whose career predictably nosedived once she had to open her mouth for anything other than a kiss.
Simon Adkins is all Hollywood hunk as the Gene Kelly lead Don Lockwood, who manages to adapt to the new screen techniques. He tap-dances up a storm, as does his love interest Frankie Jenna as the posher, stage-trained Kathy Selden, who can talk the talk unlike poor Lina and is destined to take over as Monumental Studios’ new leading lady.
Jenna’s dancing lit up the Menier stage in a small role in Candide at this time last year and here she confirms in a much bigger part that she deserves to be better known than she is.
This is a show that involves custard-pie slapstick and a fair bit of comedy business that could go violently wrong unless painstakingly rehearsed, and the cast’s slick timing, not least the engaging Paul Harwood as Don’s best friend Cosmo in the comedy routines ‘Make ’Em Laugh’, ‘Moses Supposes’ and ‘Good Morning’, is a joy to witness.
In truth, and it is not at all the director’s fault, Singin’ in the Rain is not the best-balanced show ever written because the best songs and most of the humour are contained in Act I and it climaxes too soon.
Anything coming after the big umbrella-and-tap showstopper – Adkins takes his drenching with style – that brings the first half to such a wonderfully wet climax is always likely to be a letdown.
That is how it works out and even though the director has cunningly switched ‘Beautiful Girls’ to beef up the Act II action, the best numbers (music: Nacio Herb Brown; lyrics: Arthur Freed), have gone by then, apart from Jenna’s ballad ‘Would You?’ and repeats of ‘You Are My Lucky Star’ and ‘Singin’ in the Rain’.
Samuel Haughton, Nick Barclay, Emily Wigley, Lindsay Atherton and Vicky Longland are fine in smaller roles, the choreography by Chris Whittaker makes thrilling use of the unusual space, and the seven-strong band under MD Matt Ramplin is right in step with some tricksy material.
Special mention for the movie inserts in which we see the vehicles for silent stars Don and Lina as they try to make the transition to the talkies. They are fiendishly clever and extremely funny and it’s a show into which a lot of thought and hard slogging hours have been put.
A word of warning though: you are probably better off in the third row than the first when the taps are turned on!

Ovation has done it again. You no longer have to go to the West End for a first rate musical.
Small theatres such as the Menier Chocolate Factory, Southwark Playhouse, the Union and Highgate’s Upstairs at the Gatehouse are among the many venues where you can now discover exciting music theatre.
House company Ovation at this north London theatre has established an excellent track record with shows from Into the Woods to High Society, Buddy to The Wiz. Their seasonal treat this Christmas is the Hollywood romance that originally starred Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds, which is set when talkies were just beginning.
Simon Adkins is the silent movie star Don Lockwood, Thea Jo Wolfe his vocally-challenged blonde bitch co-star Lina Lamont and Frankie Jenna is Kathy Selden, the wannabe actress for whom he falls and whose voice saves Monumental Pictures’ first talkie musical from disaster, and Paul Harwood his former vaudeville buddy Cosmo.
It’s a strong lead team to sing, tap and act their way through Comden and Green’s bright comedy matched by a company without a weak link.
Ingenious staging by director John Plews and his designer Sarah June Mills in traverse makes it a very close-up, intimate performance and keeps it fast-moving from the moment that Plews himself unrolls a red carpet for the show’s film première opening.
It’s a production that comes complete with real rain and captures those key moments from the movie in Chris Whittaker’s demanding new choreography which quotes some of the original steps. These dancers present it with energy and a precision that is absolutely vital in such proximity and that all adds to the excitement.
Adkins’s delightful, twinkle-toed Lockwood is a romantic hero who becomes more likeable every minute, Jenna’s marcel-waved Kathy has an apple-cheeked, open innocence without any mawkish sentimentality and Harwood’s Cosmo is brilliantly funny, his “Make ‘Em Laugh” a comic triumph.
Wolfe’s makes pin-brain Lina so awful you almost feel sorry for her until she turns into a control freak; it is entirely in character that even her camiknickers are covered in glittering rhinestones (and that’s also an indication of how well-dressed this show is).
With Samuel Haughton as movie mogul Dexter, Nick Barclay as film director Simpson and Emily Wigley as gossip writer Dora and a supporting cast that create clear characterisations, this really is a treat.
It doesn’t matter that you probably know what’s coming, it is still inordinately funny in its situations with some super slapstick, top-rate tapping and some honeysweet Hollywood romance.

****

There is a delightful air of ambition that pervades each Christmas musical at the Gatehouse and this year is no exception. In offering Singin’ In The Rain to the good people of Highgate, director John Plews aims high indeed. The songs are classic, the book has the potentially lethal cocktail of gorgeous romance mixed with schmaltzy simplicity and of course there’s “that” iconic scene.

Plews is a visionary creative and it is to his credit that his productions blend recently trained performers with seasoned West End and commercial talent. The story needs little introduction. Set in Hollywood, Monumental Pictures is contemplating the end of silent movies as glamorous starlet Lina Lamont realises that her voice is not as good as her looks. Meanwhile, dashing co star Don Lockwood has stumbled upon the demure and angelically voiced Kathy Selden. Love blossoms and jealousies burn as the rain-sodden tale unfolds.

The principal roles are all cast delightfully. Frankie Jenna’s Kathy is a beautifully pitched performance of vocal perfection whilst Paul Harwood’s Cosmo (Lockwood’s best friend) offers up some great dance routines, with especially beautiful work in Moses Supposes and Make ‘Em Laugh. This show’s moments of breathtaking excellence however come from the carefully crafted performances that Plews coaxes from Simon Adkins’ Lockwood and Thea Jo Wolfe’s Lamont.

Adkins’ West End pedigree is manifest in his voice, his presence and his dance. He consistently convinces as the era’s dashing movie-star, bringing a gravitas of quality to the performance that drives the entire show. Wolfe, a relative newcomer to professional theatre is just deliciously contemptible as the story’s villain. Her dumb blonde vocal squawk is painfully hilarious and her mastery of Lamont’s charisma, envy and ultimate fragility belies an acting talent of some considerable depth. Elsewhere, Nick Barclay is the believable Monumental boss R.F. Simpson and Emily Wigley sets the scene nicely as a Movietone news reporter.

The Gatehouse show offers a delicious flourish with its screenings of grainy black and white movie footage that the story demands. Seasoned director Monica Swelp racks up another triumph with her interpretations of The Royal Rascal and The Duelling Cavalier.

Chris Whittaker’s choreography cleverly exploits the compact traverse performing space, with tap routines that make lavish use of the dozen performers and yes, for an off West End production there’s even a rain drenched title number that includes the baton-twirling cop on his beat. Up in the gallery Matt Ramplin’s six piece band knock out the favourites with a pleasing familiarity.

Singin’ In The Rain makes for perfect festive fayre. A classic tale, beautifully told that brings a splash of Broadway rhythm to North London. It put a smile on my face!

***

Stage productions of this classic 1951 MGM musical seem to come round almost as regularly as rainy summers, yet all of them must have to face up to the same conundrum – how can you top something when a definitive version is already out there and nearly everyone has seen it? The usual approach is to stage it at a big theatre as a song and dance spectacular, featuring a torrential downpour for the big number. Director John Plews goes in the opposite direction in this 100 or so seat pub theatre, using a company of just 12 and a six-piece orchestra.

The setting is Hollywood in 1927 at the dawn of the talkies. Silent movie star Don Lockwood is happy to make the transition, but his squeaky-voiced on-screen partner Lina Lamont is completely unsuited, leaving the door open for rising starlet Kathy Selden, with whom Don quickly becomes smitten.

A big problem for any production of this show must be the clunky first half hour which has little music and only serves to establish the plot. This problem is made more difficult for Plews because of the theatre’s configuration – an oblong stage with the audience seated on either side. This results in the characters often seeming remote from each other, while awkward scene changes interrupt the show’s rhythm and flow. However, once the dance routines get going, the configuration works in the production’s favour, enhancing the excitement generated when dancers and audience are within touching distance.

The romance between Don (Simon Adkins) and Kathy (Frankie Jenna) is a tepid affair, with familiar but rather trite songs injecting little life into proceedings. The weight of the comedy falls onto the shoulders of Thea Jo Wolfe, delightfully coarse as Lina, and Paul Harwood as Don’s breezy sidekick Cosmo. Midway through the first half, it is Harwood who kick starts the show with his pratfalling rendition of Make ‘Em Laugh and, when he and Adkins put on their tap shoes for Moses Supposes, the audience is at last getting what it has come to see.

Adkins closes the first half performing the iconic title song sequence, pulling it off with considerable panache. He, Jenna and Harwood excel, singing and dancing their way through Good Morning and the other highlight of the second half is a glorious company tap dance routine to Broadway Melody in which Chris Whittaker’s imaginative choreography makes full use of the restricted space.

To be honest, the screenplay/book for Singin’ in the Rain was never that hot anyway and, if Plews’ production works best with song and, even more, dance, he has probably got his priorities right. A colourful array of umbrellas closes the show as the company reprises the title song, ensuring that the tune which everyone came in humming is also the one ringing in the ears on leaving. A good fun evening.

Singing’ and Dancing on the Hill; the sun shines whatever the weather

It really does not get much better than John Plews’ staging of this all singing, all dancing musical about the days when Talkies came to Hollywood and live was never the same again.

The Gatehouse has a good track record in staging musicals, but opting for this particular show was undeniably ambitious. Stage versions of film musicals are risky ventures. They are totally different animals for a start. The film, arguably the greatest of all the Hollywood musicals, is perfection, and that perfection is there for all to see on DVD. A great stage show is but a memory, a great performance lives on only in what is written about.

But we can see Kelly, Reynolds, O’ Connor, Hagen and the rest any time we want at the click of a button. Comparisons can be odious. Plews, however, has paid homage to the film but done his own thing. He is blessed with a first rate cast, splendid choreography by Chris Whittaker, elegant costumes and some cleverly shot film of the movies silent and talking.

He has opted for a traverse staging, which may increase the number of seats for sale but creates some staging problems. It can cause difficulties for the actors in deciding just who they are directing their lines to and, in the case of comedy routines, who is going to get the punch line. It also creates the odd tricky sightline. But no matter if some things do not quite hit home as they do on the screen. This is one of the best productions in a long line of first rate Gatehouse musicals.

Simon Adkins as Don Lockhart makes a dashing leading man, has a good voice, can tap dance with great style, and rises effortlessly to the challenge of the title song – and he does dance in the rain. Plews has solved that little problem brilliantly. Frankie Jenna is as pretty as a picture as Kathy Seldon, the girl he falls for, sings sweetly and her high kicks are breathtaking. Thea Jo Wolfe , suitably gorgeous as the silent star Lina Lamont, mangles her vowels to perfection and Paul Harwood as Cosmo, Don’s sidekick, does the wisecracking with style. The show starts a little slowly, but comes to life when he and Don do the “Moses Supposes his toeses” routine with a suitably bewildered voice coach crisply played by Matt Jolly.

The Gotta Dance ballet from the film is impossible to do, and instead we get the terrifically well drilled ensemble and Adkins doing a frenetic tap routine. You will leave walking on air.

A Brolly Good Show

THIS show could get five stars for its imaginative plumbing alone, although to say any more about how a rain shower soaks the stage here would be a spoiler. For there is magic and surprise to find in this must-see adaptation of the old favourite, Singin’ In The Rain, at every turn.

You wouldn’t expect anything less now from John and Katie Plews, who run the theatre above the pub in Highgate Village. They have made a habit out of stellar musicals come Christmas.

Here they offer another re-telling of how Don Lockwood, the Gene Kelly character in the classic film, consciously uncouples himself from his silver screen partner Lina Lamont, to fall in love instead with a struggling stage actress, who makes ends meet by jumping out of cakes at parties – but, unlike Lina, can sing like a nightingale.

Seriously, you are unlikely to have seen a better leading couple in a fringe theatre production all year.

Simon Adkins as Don bosses the stage, towering above them all at great height, nailing dances that make you both gasp and melt.

And you’d have to have a frozen heart, not to fall in love with Frankie Jenna as Kathy.

The story may wrap up with a hurtle, but it doesn’t matter because of those athletic, mesmerising dance routines.

You just don’t want it to end.

Gotta dance! Singin’ in the rain

It was with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation that we approached Highgate to see ‘Singin’ in the Rain’, the latest production at Upstairs at the Gatehouse. We couldn’t wait to see how they would manage a musical this big in a venue this small – could they pull it off? And when we got into the auditorium

and saw that the seating layout was in the traverse configuration, we wondered how they could possibly overcome the twin obstacles of a terrible seating arrangement and an iconic and much-loved movie to live up to. Yes they can, and they do!

The plot might be from the fifties, but it feels very up to date, with themes that are if anything more relevant than ever – the insecurity of success in show business, the cult of celebrity and the apparent conflict between ‘art’ and ‘entertainment’. Director John Plews has delivered quite a coup here – by focusing on what mattered in the film – love, relationships (good and bad) and the joys (and frustrations) of creativity, we really don’t need big production numbers. With a talented cast and perfectly pitched performances, the whole production captures the tone of the film, and brings an extra intimacy which has its own rewards. We’d even go so far as to say that this is the best use of a traverse layout we have seen. Instead of being a hindrance, the small space brings a spontaneity to the dance sequences and freshness to the choreography of such famous numbers as ‘Singin’ in the rain’, ‘Good Mornin’ and ‘Moses Supposes’, re-capturing the warmth and simplicity of the original. Add to that the film clips and out-takes charting the rocky progress of ‘The dueling Cavalier’ to ‘The Dancing Cavalier’, courtesy of some skilful overdubbing, and the hilarity is complete.

The cast were all excellent, with strong leads well supported by the small but versatile chorus. ‘Tough Act to follow’ doesn’t quite cover it when describing Simon Adkins’ task in taking on Don Lockwood, a character made so famous by Gene Kelly, especially given the iconic title sequence. Adkins has a likeable charm and a warm singing voice which more than does justice to the music, and when it came to that song (and yes, there was real precipitation), he didn’t attempt to replicate the original step for step, but he did make it his own, conveying the sheer joy behind the song, and had us all rooting for him. Paul Harwood as sidekick, musical genius and all-round fixer Cosmo Brown brings high energy and a truly child-like joy in sheer silliness, coupled with a touching loyalty to Don which seems to involve single-handedly saving his career and sorting out his love-life. Kathy Seldon is by contrast the sane character in an insane world, and Frankie Jenna brings an unpretentious and feisty dignity, whether climbing out of a cake or delivering a custard pie in the face, not to mention a beautiful singing voice, whether delivering romantic gems such as ‘You are my lucky star’ or the more lighthearted joyfulness of ‘Good mornin”. Thea Jo Wolfe as Lina Lamont has the unenviable task of portraying an actress with a voice so terrible it could bring down a studio, and she rises to the challenge with vocal chords set to stun. More importantly, she has impeccable comic timing and pace – her elocution lessons are a joy to behold, not to mention her inability to locate a microphone while filming. Although she is technically the villain of the piece, she is also a victim of the star system, and Wolfe manages to elicit sympathy along with the ridicule. Matt Jolly stands out from the chorus and has some nice cameos including the elocution teacher, the policeman, as well as leading the delightful ‘beautiful girl’ interlude. Lindsay Atherton also delivers an impressive dance sequence in ‘the broadway ballet’.

Which just goes to show that sometimes you can’t beat a live performance for that authentic joy and excitement. No overdubbing here, just a highly talented cast of singers, dancers and actors in a tiny space with an excellent director. Long may they rain!

Singin’ in the Rain,
Upstairs at the Gatehouse

I’ve a smile on my face”

As unlikely as it may seem, you could easily make the case that some of the best musical theatre happening in London right now is taking place above a pub in Highgate. John and Katie Plews’ Ovation Productions have a sterling record in small-scale smash-hit musicals at the Upstairs at the Gatehouse theatre and their festive shows are usually the pick of the bunch. This winter sees them take on the perennial classic Singin’ in the Rain and naturally, it is a gloriously resounding success. And yes, of course there is rain – you gotta go to see how they do it though.

The key to the Plews’ triumph lies in the uncanny ability to both distil and reimagine Broadway classics perfectly for this 120-or-so seat space and often in traverse. That means choreography (from Chris Whittaker) so audacious that audiences applaud mid-song, that means design (by Sarah June Mills) that hits all the key notes – a lamppost to lean on, steps to hop up and down on, seats to tip back – without cluttering the stage, that means musical direction (from Matt Ramplin, leading a band of six) unafraid to just exude Broadway pizzazz as it delivers the superbly evergreen score.

And marshalled together under John Plews’ direction, it all works together just decadently well. Monica Swelp’s silent film clips nail the hilariously histrionic tone that is falling out of fashion in Hollywood as epitomised by Thea Jo Wolfe’s uproariously squeaky Lina, Frankie Jenna (how lovely to see rise through the ranks like this to get a starring role) perfectly captures the natural charm that is rising to take its place, and the thoroughly charming and impossibly handsome and amazing dancer – God, I hate him! – Simon Adkins bridges these two worlds with real grace and dynamism.

The whole company shine brightly through the rain though, wielding their multi-coloured umbrellas and fetching raincoats – special mentions for Paul Harwood’s cheeky Cosmo taps with wonderfully watchable ease and Lindsay Atherton glistens in a starring moment in the Broadway Ballet. The cumulative effect is just heart-gladdeningly wonderful and a real testament to the achievements of this fringe theatre. If it weren’t sold out, I’d be back again in a flash: as it is, you can click here for details of how to get added to the waiting list, you won’t regret it.

Booking until 25th January, sold out but well worth queuing for returns.

****

I caught Chichester’s recent production of Singin’ in the Rain several times so was intrigued to see how such a big glamorous musical would workin such a small theatre. John Plews’ production works a treat. The small cast have to work twice as hard. They burst with energy and carry the piece from beginning to end.

From the outside it seems Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont are the Posh and Becks of silent movies, but from the inside things couldn’t be more different as Don falls for the charms of aspiring stage actress Kathy Selden.

A gifted triple threat, West End actor Simon Adkins leads the cast as Don Lockwood. Adkins is a mesmerising dancer and his vocals are strong. He shines opposite Frankie Jenna as Kathy Selden and Paul Harwood as Cosmo Brown, both of whom settle into their roles as the piece progresses. The highlight of the evening is the trio’s performance of ‘Good Morning’ which brings the house down.

The real star of the show is Thea Jo Wolfe who is absolutely hysterical as Lina Lamont. Jo Wolfe’s comic timing is spot on and she had me in stitches. Chris Whittaker’s choreography works well in the limiting space whilst the orchestra sound divine under the direction of Matt Ramplin.

Plews presents an old classic in a new way. Singin’ in the Rain always provides a glorious night at the theatre, and this production is certainly no exception.