They had me at the first tap break.

If you know the movie of Singin’ in the Rain, imagine how good this stage adaptation could be. It’s better. I’ve heard theatre crowds cheer and clap before, but nothing like the feral roar that came from this packed Royal Exchange house at the end of act one.

Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, Debbie Reynolds, and Jean Hagen as Lina Lamont are a hard act to follow, and there are some extremely famous routines – the Good Morning sequence has had more than 40 million YouTube views – but this cast and this production do it with great style and panache. And you don’t need to know the film. Betty Comden and Adolph Green’s story of the silent movie studios converting to the talkies and the stars who could and couldn’t make it, and Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed’s wonderful songs, will grip you regardless. Not to mention the astonishing tap routines and production numbers.

Louis Gaunt and Cosmo Brown in the Kelly and O’Connor roles are indeed astonishing. Much of the audience on press night were industry, including quite a lot of hoofers, who were awestruck. Carly Mercedes Dyer in the ingénue Reynolds role is no slouch either, and the aforesaid Good Morning routine more than lives up to its reputation. Laura Baldwin as the star with the unfortunate voice (Lina Lamont) gives her a Brooklyn accent that could crack glass at 50 paces, and nearly steals the show. And they can all sing, too. Really sing.

I would say it was worth going just to see Make ‘Em Laugh, Good Morning, and Singin’ in the Rain, and it really does rain. But that would be a huge disservice to the rest of the cast who can also sing, dance, and act, a whole team of triple threats who make the show sparkle like a glass of great fizz. Huge credit also to director Raz Shaw, choreographer Alistair David, designer Richard Kent, MD Matthew Malone and his eight-piece band who sound like an orchestra. Great job, people.

The word of mouth on this is going to be electric, so I suggest you get your tickets immediately. Take hand cream and throat lozenges, you’re going to be clapping and cheering A LOT. 

By Chris Wallis, Theatre Editor

Main image: credit Johan Persson

 

Singin’ in the Rain is at the Royal Exchange, Manchester until January 25, 2026. For more information, click here.