Singin’ In The Rain

The stage show at the Royal Exchange is based on the well-known film which had many audience members wondering just how will the company make it rain on stage? In fact, it rains twice – once at the end of the first half and once during an exuberant all-singing, all-dancing finale. Accompanied by a live nine-piece band the performance includes many of the songs from the film including Good Morning, Beautiful Girl, Make ‘em Laugh and, of course, the eponymous Singing in the Rain.

The Royal Exchange theatre is designed and built in the round. It is a ‘pod’, or a building within a building, with the theatre sitting as a separate module within a much older trading exchange built in the early 1800s. This means that all the seating at stage level plus circular seating on two higher levels encircles the stage creating a strong sense of proximity to the action. Entrances and exits through the audience give the shows a feeling of immediacy and excitement. Singin’ in the Rain was no exception and the actors clearly enjoyed playing mischievously with the audience during the two rain scenes when the audience at stage level was well and truly splashed.

The rain was produced by rain bars above the stage which were fed by a tank located outside the pod in the older hall. Audience members were encouraged to look at the rain system which held 2000 litres of water heated to 34 degrees to keep the actors comfortable. About 300 litres of water was needed for each rain scene and it took 45 minutes to empty and clean the under stage tank at the end of each show.

Singin’ in the Rain was a joyous show performed by amazingly talented actors who were not scared to interact with the audience generating a real sense of camaraderie and excitement – never quite knowing who was going to get wet next.  – A. Jeffers