Review: Singin' in the Rain at the Palace Theatre, London

Warning: there may be an abundance of superlatives in this review and you can expect a few stars!

Singin' in the Rain is the story of the move in Hollywood from silent films to talking pictures. It follows movie stars Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont and is based on the wonderful 1952 musical film of the same name. I've lost count of the number of times I've watched this film, so I was keen to see the stage version. All the songs from the film are there, including 'Make 'Em Laugh', Good morning', 'You were made for me', 'You are my lucky star', 'Would You', 'Moses' and the legendary title song.

The cast are fantastic. Gene Kelly's shoes are hard to fill, but Adam Cooper (the adult Billy in the film Billy Elliot) does an brilliant job playing the all-singing, all-dancing leading man. I couldn't take my eyes of him. His movement is effortless, but I wondered whether he was holding something back in his performance. Perhaps he was pacing himself.

Scarlett Strallen plays the Debbie Reynold's role of Kathy Selden beautifully. She lights up the stage and is warm and engaging.

The funny best friend, Cosmo Brown, is played with panache by Daniel Crossley. It must be wonderful as an actor to hear a full house laughing heartily at your performance. He's a ball of energy.

One character I was looking forward to seeing is Lina Lamont. Katherine Kinglsey stands out as the selfish leading lady from noo yoik. Her piercing shriek of a voice is spot on, but she needs to be careful not to go over the top. All together now... 'I can't stand him'!

There were a couple of well-known faces on the stage. Both Michael Brandon and Sandra Dickinson were fabulous. All of the other actors were super. They looked like they were enjoying themselves and this helped me to enjoy the show too.

The scenes from the films in the show were excellent. They were projected onto screens on the set and fitted perfectly. Singin' in the Rain is a very funny musical. The whole show is entertaining. You get a lot for your money as the production lasts for two and a half hours.

The song and dance routines are amazing. The film translates well to the stage and the big Hollywood routines are very well done. The most exciting sections were at the end of the first half and the finale. I loved the staging of the the title number 'Singin' in the Rain'. The reprise at the end with the whole cast is spectacular too. Yes, there is rain on stage! The theatre smells like a swimming pool, but it's worth it. I'll give you fair warning though, if you're sat in the first few rows in the stalls you may get splashed!

Wow, just wow. Singin' in the Rain is superb from start to finish. We loved it. Five stars out of five.





I was given a couple of tickets to review the new production of Singin' in the Rain at the Palace Theatre, London, by Superbreak. If you want to visit London, this production is listed in the London Guide


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Review: Singin' in the Rain at the Palace Theatre, London