ALL TAPPING, ALL SPLASHING MUSICAL SPECTACULAR
APRIL 2014
Direct from the West End, the critically-acclaimed smash hit musical Singin’ in the Rain will come
tapping and splashing into town at Norwich Theatre Royal from June 4 to 14.
All set to whip up a storm of excitement, the all-singing, all-dancing show tells the story of the first
Hollywood musical, when the silver screen found its voice and left silent movies – and some of its
stars – behind.
Packed full of the charm, romance, comedy and tinsel town glamour of the all-time favourite 1952
movie starring Gene Kelly, the show features songs from the glorious original MGM score including
Good Morning, Make ‘em Laugh, Moses Supposes and the classic Singin’ in the Rain.
With high-energy choreography and a sumptuous set design (including 14,000 litres of water),
Singin’ in the Rain showers the audience with everything you could wish for from a hit musical.
It will star Maxwell Caulfield, who played Miles Colby on Dynasty and starred in Grease 2, as studio
boss R F Simpson, while Coronation Street favourite Vicky Binns, who trod the soap’s cobbles as
Molly Compton, is Lina Lamont.
Set in the roaring Twenties, ‘Talkies’ are about to spell bad news for silent movie star Don Lockwood
(played by Royal Ballet School trained dancer and actor James Leece) and his leading lady Lina
Lamont. Lockwood looks around for a solution and finds it in chorus girl Kathy Selden (performed by
Amy Ellen Richardson who has extensive theatre credits to her name) who has the voice of an angel.
But the scheming Lina is all out to take advantage and the audience will be rooting for her to get her
just desserts and for Don Lockwood to realise it is Kathy he loves.
Also on stage will be Norfolk’s Tom Partridge, who started out as a Theatre Royal panto babe and
honed his skills at Central School of Dancing and Performing Arts.
Dance fans will be bowled over by the fast-tapping, award-winning choreography and music in the
show, while film fans will love the silent movie spoofs specially written into the show, and there’s
plenty of comedy too.
But it is the set design which amazes as 7,000 litres of water – 2,500 falling from above and 4,500
flooding up from below – descends on the stage during each of the two rain sequences, leaving
about two inches of water which the actors delight in dancing through. Heated to 30 degrees, it is
filtered and treated to prevent bacteria developing, before draining back into a reservoir to be
recycled all over again.
The 11-strong band plays on a raised platform above the stage, instead of in the orchestra pit where
they would get soaked, while James Leece as Don Lockwood gets thoroughly drenched when he
performs the iconic song and dance routine to Singin’ In The Rain, twirling around a lamp-post in the
park as he swirls his brolly.
Information For Editors
Singin’ in the Rain runs from Wednesday 4th until Saturday 14 June. There are performances at
7.30pm each evening, and 2.30pm matinees on Thurs 5, Sat 7, Sun 8, Wed 11, Fri 13 and Sat 14 (No
performances on Mon, June 9). Tickets £6.50-£45. Discounts for Friends, Over-60s, Under-18s, and
Groups. Audio-described performance on Sat June 14 at 2.30pm. Signed performance on Thursday
June 12 at 7.30pm. Captioned performance on Fri June 6 at 7.30pm.
BOX OFFICE 01603 630000. For more info or to BOOK ONLINE www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk
For further information and images please contact;
Melanie Cook, Senior Marketing Executive, PR & Digital
VisitNorwich, 2 Millennium Plain, Bethel Street, Norwich, NR2 1TF
01603 727939 [email protected]