Today I travelled up to London with my good friend Sheila to watch Singin’ In The Rain at Sadler’s Wells Theatre. We had lunch close by at an all Gluten Free Restaurant, Niche https://www.nichefoodanddrink.com/ the food was sublime and the restaurant a 2 minute walk from the theatre.
Before the first Lockdown way back in March, I was going to the theatre at least twice a week, often with Sheila, Theatres closed their doors on March 16th 2020, the day before my birthday, for which I had Les Miserables booked. Those 10 weeks spent pretty much totally alone were hard, I’m someone who tends not to sit at home, if I’m not at the theatre I’m out watching sport. However The National Theatre, Sir Andrew LLoyd Webber and Sky Arts gave us some theatre in our living rooms and that really helped me stay sane.
But, there really is no adequate replacement for live theatre. This wasn’t my first theatre trip since that first lockdown, I sneaked 3 visits in at various times, watching a Talking Heads performance at The Bridge Theatre in October, GH Boy at the Charring Cross Theatre in December and Under Milk Wood at the National a couple of weeks ago courtesy of my friend Mark. It felt special to be back on each of those 3 occasions.
3 great theatre trips, especially seeing the quite marvellous Michael Sheen completing a virtual 2 hour monologue of Dylan Thomas’ work. Today though, was something else! I’m going to try to find a way to do justice to this wonderful production.
I grew up with Singin’ in The Rain, a film starring Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor and Debbie Reynolds, Wikipedia tells me the film is considered ‘the greatest musical film ever made; I was very much looking forward to it being recreated on stage.
The star of the show was 50 year old Adam Cooper, as a cricket fan I’m used to people marvelling at 45 year old Kent player Darren Stevens and 41 year year old ‘Universe Boss’ Chris Gayle. But this man is 50! He trained at the Arts Educational School and The Royal Ballet School and his formal training is clear to see throughout. I was lucky enough to see Adam in The Red Shoes, a wonderful performance.
I had no idea he could sing, and well at that, he was alongside Faye Tozer, playing Lina Lamont. Charlotte Gooch playing Kathy Seldon and Kevin Clifton paying Cosmo Brown. Faye Tozier, who I’m pretty sure can sing, played the out of tune movie star brilliantly, it’s no mean feat to sing totally out of tune and to be squeaky voiced throughout.
Charlotte Gooch has a beautiful singing voice and was a joy to listen to Kevin Clifton made a great Cosmo too. The Singin’ In The Rain number was wonderfully worked, the front row will have got pretty damp, to the amusement of the rest of us. Sandra Dickinson played 2 great cameo roles and Cavin Cornwall as RF Simpson left me wondering just how good he was in his award winning stage roles.
I want to try to get across just how perfect this production this is, I’ve looked up the word STUPENDOUS, and taken every defintion/element.
- Causing astonishment or wonder: AWESOME, MARVELLOUS
- Of amazing size or greatness: TREMENDOUS
- Synonyms – AMAZING, ASTONISHING, ASTOUNDING, AWESOME, FABULOUS, MARVELLOUS, STAGGERING, STUNNING, SUBLIME, WONDERFUL, WONDROUS.
Each and every one of those words fit this production, the timing couldn’t have been better, the absolute joy felt by those in the audience was clear throughout and the standing ovation at the end was one of the loudest I’ve heard, it certainly brought tears to my eyes and many others. We laughed, we cried, we ooh’d and we aah’d. If you haven’t got a ticket to see this, go buy one, you won’t regret it!
365 Happy Days 