Singin' In The Rain - Airdrie & Coatbridge Amateur Operatic Society

I was thinking that I've posted a lot about shows I've seen in the past year but here's one I missed. It was Airdrie and Coatbridge Amateur Operatic Society’s production of ‘Singin’ In The Rain.’

The plot of Singin’ In the Rain surrounds the transition from silent movies to the talkies. With the release of the first talking movie, The Jazz Singer, the studio feels doomed unless they can catch up. The studio boss has no option but to turn their silent movie, The Dueling Cavalier, into a talkie. But studio boss RF Simpson is stuck with a leading lady whose tinny ‘New Yoik’ drawl would never cut it in the talkies. And so a plot is hatched to bring in a wannabe singer to cover her voice.

To take one of the defining Hollywood movies - with that iconic scene of Gene Kelly dancing in the downpour - and attempt to make it work on stage is technically a risky business. So there was a smile inducing moment when the curtain came up to finish act one, with a scene straight from the movie, complete with cascading water, puddles and torrential rain, and the actor dancing through the puddles.

The show would have worked in the most basic staging due to the strength of its songs and infectious fun of its storyline, but the producers and director had greater ambitions for the piece. A bit of technical wizardry created some surprises. A screen dropped down to stage and before our eyes, there was the silent movie, complete with the cast and dialogue. It was ambitious and technically risky, but It worked fantastically well. 

The local newspaper had this to say; "Craig Carter as the lead role of silent movie star, Don Lockwood - played the part with the same twinkle in his eye as the legendary hoofer Gene Kelly did. So when the moment we had all been waiting for came, as he splashed in the puddles at ‘Singin’ In The Rain’, you just wanted to get on your feet and cheer."


"His sidekick, Cosmo Brown, was brought to life brilliantly by Graeme Lochead, in a performance that would have had the original sparky star Donald O’Connor punching the air with approval. He carried off the role with slick humour and boundless energy in ‘Make Em Laugh’…and his ‘Moses Supposes’ was a showstopper. If ever there was a born song and dance man - it’s this livewire. And the ‘Broadway Melody’ with Cosmo and Don leading the chorus line was sparkling theatre."

"With such stunning performances from the guys, the ladies had to be nothing short of brilliant. And they were."

"Pamela Dormer, who played Kathy Selden, the struggling actress brought into voiceover the diva Lina Lamont, gave us vulnerability and grit at the same time with her ‘Lucky Star’ and ‘Would You’. And the chemistry between her and Craig carried off the romance to a tee. The ‘Good Morning’ number with Cosmo and Don was charming, energetic and one my favourite moments in the show."

"Her rival for Don’s love, strutting around in her feather boa and her fancy pants attitude, Christine McGarrity, couldn’t have been more opposite. She vividly recreated the role of the tantrum throwing diva Lina Lamont, but with plenty of humour to make her a favourite character."

"The seamless change of sets, by Scenic, was perfect and the whole glitzy atmosphere worked because of visual effects - from the lighting to the smoky sunsets. The sound quality, and atmosphere enhancing sound effects by Joe Bradshaw and his team were also flawless.

Musical director Ian Monteith-Mathie makes a tremendous contribution, leading the orchestra with all the professionalism and commitment of a West End show."

"Yes. This an inspired cast, with a rich vein of talent and self-belief, and they can all feel rightly proud. Singin’ In The Rain brought sunshine to a drab spring evening, and I left the theatre with, as the song says, a smile on my face."

Mine too!

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