King's Theatre, Glasgow
8 August 2022
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I love when a musical theatre production has excellent dancers and Singin' in the Rain the musical is chock full of them.
Everyone on stage is an exquisite dancer, and with the beautiful costumes, clever lighting and effective staging we are quickly transported to a dreamy multicoloured old Hollywood movie set.
The set for this classic musical is so impressive - not least for a touring production. The stage is cleverly designed to deal with the 'rain' and there is absolutely no skimping on the water... There is no hosepipe ban here! As we see with 'rain' in other stage productions, this is no wishy washy dribble - it's a downpour. I imagine wardrobe on this tour have a really difficult job! The Act I finale is glorious.
Sam Lips (Don Lockwood) is a gorgeous dancer (and singer). He is perfectly cast in the lead role as a Hollywood movie idol (swoon).
And if you ever had any doubt if Kevin Clifton can tap dance - wow, he absolutely can! 'Make em laugh' is my favourite scene from the film - it's choreographic genius - and Donald O'Connor's performance of it is quite rightly legendary. Kevin does a very fine job with the incredibly difficult number, although no-one can ever better the original (IMHO).
The 2 leading ladies Charlotte Gooch and Jenny Gayner are perfection! Fantastic performances from both of them ensure this isn't just about the men. The ladies sing, act, dance just as brilliantly as the men, but like Ginger Rodgers said, they do it in heels (and beautiful dresses!).
I highly recommend this show. It is one of the best touring productions I have ever seen in the UK. It's an exceptionally slick production with a world-class cast, an interesting story and divine dancing.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
[Review first published on Instagram 9 August 2022]
Singin' in the Rain the musical - review, UK Tour, The King's Theatre, Glasgow August 2022. Sam Lips, Kevin Clifton, Charlotte Gooch, Jenny Gayner.
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