Raining Cats & Dogs





Following another successful Music Hall in 2003, Julie chose another favourite and another challenging show both technically for Danny, but also for the cast. The company had been steadily growing over the past year or so and were now capable of taking on something more challenging.
Singin' in the Rain was difficult because it involved so many new mediums which were crucial to the plot (and the expectations of the audience). Being about film meant that film had to be included, which meant someone had to shoot it, and then it would have to be edited and projected on to more than one screen, with sound as well.

As if this wasn't enough, there was the rain. From the start, Julie knew how important it was to have real rain in the show, and so for the first time went outside of the Empire and hired a set. It came on several trucks with pumps, and took several days to rig. However the effect was fantastic and the hard work and expense paid off.
In addition to the technical difficulties, the cast had to work in a new way, where there were more principle and speaking roles, and the entire company were responsible for telling the story. It was the work of the company that won the Players NODA's esteemed "Best Chorus" award, and the show itself won "Best Production"


Not only did the company as a whole excel, the individual principles also took on new challenges - with Julie-Dawn inventing a truly horrible yet memorable character and voice in Lena Lamont, and David Street, James Brett and Gillian Pearce generating a unique chemistry that aided their complicated dance routines and entwined dialogue.

Click here for more on Singin' In The Rain
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