From 18 February 2013 television and West End star Jennifer Ellison will join Adam Cooper in the award-winning, critical smash revival of SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN at the Palace Theatre. Ellison joins the cast to play silent movie screen siren, and owner of a voice never meant for the ‘talkies’, Lina Lamont.
Cooper will continue to lead the company as Don Lockwood, joined by new cast members Louise Bowden playing Kathy Selden and Stephane Annelli who will play Cosmo Brown, completing the iconic trio made famous by Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’Conner in 1952 MGM musical film. The principal cast also features Sandra Dickinson who continues as Dora Bailey and Miss Dinsmore and Peter Forbes as RF Simpson.
The Producers said: “We are thrilled to welcome our new cast members to the Palace Theatre and looking forward to their first performance next month. It has been a joy to have brought this Chichester Festival Theatre production to the West End where we are delighted to be entering our second year. To date over half a million happy audience members have left the theatre having experienced the full effects of our 12,000 litres of rain! It’s always thrill to see them swinging around the lampposts of Shaftesbury Avenue as they make their way home.”
Jonathan Church’s production of Singin’ in the Rain was acclaimed by audiences and critics alike when it opened at the Palace Theatre in February last year after an extended, sold out run at the Chichester Festival Theatre. The new cast also features Mark Hadfield, David Lucas and Frankie Jenna with Karen Aspinall, Emma Caffrey, Matthew Croke, Brendan Cull, Adam Denman, Kelly Ewins-Prouse, Charlene Ford, Olivia Fines, Tim Hodges, Nia Jermin, Peter Le Brun, Matthew Malthouse, Adam Margilewski, Oliver Metzler, Gillian Parkhouse, Joseph Prouse, Charlotte Scott, Zara Warren and Nancy Wei George.
Don Lockwood is 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. There is rumour in the studio of a new kind of film, where the actors actually talk… and sing... and dance.
Jennifer Ellison has most recently starred as Paulette in Legally Blonde the Musical on UK tour. Her previous stage credits include Boeing Boeing at the Comedy Theatre, Chicago at the Adelphi Theatre, Cinderella at the Liverpool Playhouse and Calendar Girls on UK tour. She played Emily Shadwick in the television soap Brookside, and her other television credits include Lynda La Plante’s The Commander: Abduction, Hotel Babylon and The Verdict. On film her credits include lead roles in The Phantom of the Opera and The Cottage. Ellison reached the semi-finals on ITV’s Dancing on Ice, appeared as a judge on Dirty Dancing – Time of Your Life for Sky Television and won the first ever series of Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen.
On joining the West End production Jennifer Ellison said: “Singin in the Rain’ is one of my absolute favourite movie musicals, I watched it a lot growing up! When I saw the show I left with the biggest grin on my face and a huge spring in my step. Playing any West End role is a thrill and a privilege but to be playing Lina Lamont at the Palace Theatre in this show is pretty much as good as it gets. I’m so happy to be joining this amazing hit production as it celebrates its one year anniversary. Everyone has been so welcoming and I’m now just itching to get out in front of the audience and start splashing around!”
Multi award-winning Adam Cooper’s theatre credits include Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls at the Piccadilly Theatre, Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz, On Your Toes and The Wind in the Willows at the Royal Festival Hall and Zorro on tour in the UK. With the Adventures in Motion Pictures Company as well as playing the Angel in Cinderella, he created the award-wining role of the Swan in Swan Lake, which, after opening at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, transferred to the West End, LA and Broadway. As a member of the Royal Ballet Company (1989-97) his numerous credits include Romeo and Juliet, Myerling, The Judas Tree, Onegin and La Ronde.
Louise Bowden’s theatre credits include White Christmas, Mary Poppins and Mamma Mia! on tour in the UK, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Ragtime for the Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park, We Will Rock You at the Dominion Theatre and Guys and Dolls at the Piccadilly Theatre. In Dublin her credits include Celebration, Millennium Beat, All I Wanna Do Is Dance, The Wizard Of Oz, Annie and Do the Cats Have Tails. Bowden began her professional career touring the US with Tony Kenny’s Ireland and Jury’s Irish Cabaret, which she followed by recording her debut solo album My Dublin Bay.
Stephane Annelli has previously been seen in the West End in Legally Blonde the Musical, Saturday Night Fever and Sinatra. He recently appeared in Ragtime and A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Regents Park Open Air Theatre and in On the Town at English National Opera. His other theatre credits include Fiddler on the Roof for Sheffield Theatres and played the title role in Aladdin at the Theatre Royal Plymouth.
Singin’ in the Rain features songs by Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed, including Make ‘em Laugh, Good Morning, Moses Supposes and Singin’ in the Rain. Original screenplay and adaptations are by Betty Comden and Adolph Green. With Olivier Award nominated choreography by Andrew Wright, the production is designed by Simon Higlett, with sound by Matt McKenzie and lighting by Tim Mitchell.
Singin’ in the Rain, which uses half a mile of flexible pipe work, a 10 tonne water tank housed in the orchestra pit and a water system that creates a downpour from above and flooding from below the stage, ‘raining’ (and recycling) over 12,000 litres of downpour per performance, is produced in the West End by Stage Entertainment UK and Chichester Festival Theatre.