Theatre News

CFT Singin’ in the Rain Transfers to West End, 15 Feb

The Chichester Festival Theatre has confirmed that its production of Singin’ in the Rain will transfer to the West End’s Palace Theatre from 15 February 2012 (previews from 4 February).

Directed by Jonathan Church and with choreography by Andrew Wright, the musical is based on the classic 1952 MGM film starring Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds and will be produced in the West End by Stage Entertainment UK and Chichester Festival Theatre.

Singin’ in the Rain tickets go on sale from 26 September 2011, and it’s initially booking through to 29 September 2012.

The West End cast is led by Adam Cooper as Don Lockwood, Daniel Crossley as Cosmo Brown, Scarlett Strallen as Kathy Seldon and Katherine Kingsley as Lina Lamont, with Michael Brandon as RF Simpson and Sandra Dickinson as Dora Bailey/Miss Dinsmore, all of whom will reprise their roles from the original Chichester production.

Singin’ in the Rain features songs by Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed, including “Make ‘em Laugh”, “Good Morning”, ”Moses Supposes” and the title song. The original screenplay and adaptations are by Betty Comden and Adolph Green.

Church’s production premiered in June at the Festival Theatre, Chichester, where it extended its run due to demand.

The story centres on Don Lockwood, a silent movies star with everything he could want – fame, adulation and even a well-publicised ‘romance’ with his co-star Lina Lamont. But Hollywood is about to change forever.

The West End cast is completed by: Brendan Cull, Flora Dawson, Sandra Dickinson, Jaye Juliette Elster, Peter Forbes, Gemma Fuller, Francis Haugen, David Lucas, Scott Mobley, Ebony Molina, Gillian Parkhouse, Sherrie Pennington, Lisa Ritchie and Nancy Wei George.

Currently at the Palace, award-wining screen-to-stage musical Priscilla Queen of the Desert closes on 31 December 2011.