Royal Exchange Theatre | Bouquets & Brickbats

30/12/25

Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester

It’s Philip’s birthday, and his lovely daughter and her husband have treated us to a night out at our favourite theatre. We were press-night regulars at Manchester’s Royal Exchange before we relocated to Edinburgh a decade ago, and we’ve never lost our love for the alien-like glass pod, squatting improbably amid the opulence of the old corn exchange. But we’re here for more than just the bricks and mortar, of course, and director Raz Shaw’s revival of Singin’ in the Rain offers a whole lot of nostalgic fun – as well as another chance to see the venue’s well-used water feature in action.

The show’s lead, Louis Gaunt, is off sick tonight, so understudy Adam Davidson steps into Don Lockwood’s black and white Gatsby brogues, impressing with his slick performance of this incredibly demanding role. He and Danny Collins (as Cosmo Brown) make a formidable duo, hoofing up a storm and delighting the audience with their dance moves.

Laura Baldwin plays Lockwood’s silent movie co-star, Lina Lamont, who refuses to accept two major facts: she doesn’t have the requisite talent to succeed in the newfangled ‘talkies’ and her engagement to Don is just a PR stunt. Baldwin nails the character of the petulant diva, imbuing Lina with just enough vulnerability to make us sympathise with her, despite her cruelty and hubris. Meanwhile, Carly Mercedes Dyer dazzles as Lina’s nemesis, Kathy Seldon, who is not only an accomplished singer and actor, but also Don’s true love. Dyer’s vocals are soaringly beautiful, making it easy to believe that studio boss RF Simpson (Julius D’Silva) wants to hire her, even if it means betraying Lina, his most bankable star.

The movie clips are cleverly staged, designer Richard Kent perfectly utilising the in-the-round performance space to suggest the rotating of the cinema reels. Captions are projected onto semi-circular boards framed with vanity lights, while Alistair David’s exuberant choreography reinforces the circularity. The use of blackouts and freeze-frames is wonderfully comic: this is a very playful musical, gently satirising not only the characters but also the theatrical conventions they employ.

It’s no mean feat to take a well-loved classic and render it so fresh and appealing. But Shaw’s sprightly production manages to do just that, allowing each of the big numbers (by Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freedby) enough space to shine. My only slight criticism comes courtesy of Betty Comden and Adolph Green’s original screenplay: I think the Broadway Ballet sequence at the start of the second act is far too long. Although the dancing is magnificent, I can’t help feeling it interrupts the narrative, akin to a self-indulgent drum solo in a live performance of a song. That niggle aside, I have nothing but praise for this sparkling show. Collin’s rendition of Make ‘Em Laugh is comic perfection, while the titular number is a vibrant spectacle. But be warned: if you’re in the first two rows, you’re really gonna feel the effects of that infamous water feature…

We couldn’t have asked for a better way to see out 2025. Happy New Year!

5 stars

Susan Singfield

30/12/23

Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester

It’s my birthday (hurrah!) and I’m in Manchester, visiting my daughter and her husband, which is already a massive improvement on last year. (In 2022, Susan and I found ourselves stranded in Carlisle for two nights when flooding interrupted our train journey back to Edinburgh. Deep joy.) As an added bonus, we’re also visiting the Royal Exchange Theatre, always a favourite venue when we actually lived in this neck of the woods.

Tonight, we’re seeing Emma Rice’s adaptation of Noël Coward’s Brief Encounter, perhaps most fondly remembered for David Lean’s iconic 1945 film adaptation. But of course, it began life as a theatre production in a collection of works entitled Tonight at 8.30. Rice has had the brilliant idea of incorporating some of Coward’s songs into the narrative, making it not exactly a musical so much as a play with music cleverly incorporated into the narrative, with four musicians onstage throughout. This is an ambitious move and much more interesting than a straight recreation of its much-adored progenitor.

The plot is so familiar I won’t spend too much time recounting it. Laura (Hannah Azuonye) is awaiting her train at Milford Junction when she gets a bit of grit in her eye. GP Alec (Baker Mukasa), who happens to be having a cup of tea in the café when she stumbles in, comes to her assistance. From this inconsequential incident a friendship develops, which becomes increasingly problematic as the twosome keep bumping into each other. All too soon, they realise they are falling in love.

But both of them are happily married and are tortured by the thought of deceiving their respective partners. So what should they do for the best?

Anyone familiar with Lean’s film will be aware that Rice sticks fairly close to that script (something that we confirm by rewatching it on the long journey home the following day), but she does some astute restructuring. Some of the film’s minor characters are given more developed roles here: the relationship between railwayman Albert (Richard Graves) and cafe manager Myrtle (Christina Modestou, most recently seen by B & B at the Edinburgh Fringe in the wonderful Grand Old Opera House Hotel) is more prominent and there’s also a developing romance between café worker Beryl (Ida Regan) and porter Stanley (Georgia Frost). The contrast between the polite conversations of the middle-class protagonists and the earthy, working-class station employees is effectively captured.

At key moments, the actors slip effortlessly into one of the ‘The Master’s’ torch songs, giving the proceedings a louche, cabaret feel, and there’s a brilliantly-choreographed routine where the whole cast move around the Exchange’s circular stage to a series of different musical pieces, culminating in a frenzied jitterbug. The performances are all exemplary, but I particularly enjoy Modestou’s soulful rendition of No Good at Love and Regan’s plaintive interpretation of Mad About the Boy.

There’s also a delightful coup de théâtre involving the big station clock that hangs over the proceedings, while hats should also be lifted to the versatile Matthew Allen, who handles a whole string of smaller roles, singing, tap dancing and, at one point even playing the flipping saxophone!

Sarah Frankcom directs with considerable skill – I fondly recall seeing her delightful production of Blithe Spirit in this very theatre, way back in 2009 – and, all in all, this is a delightful and occasionally surprising production that celebrates the spirit of its illustrious predecessor.

4.2 stars

Philip Caveney