“You can’t do Singin’ without the rain, so a lot of planning went into constructing a safe and efficient system to achieve the effect. “There is no doubt that the absolute showpiece was the finale, with the radiant rain sequence and the rainbow lighting, which the audience absolutely loved.’’ The whole process relied on the technical wizardry and design flair of technical director and set designer Grant Bennett, who says it was a puzzle he enjoyed working on. The floor had to be waterproofed and sloped so the “rain” could run to a central point, and then be siphoned out of the building. Members of the audience who chose to sit in the splash zone were relieved to discover the water was warmed through a gas califont before being pumped to the sprinkler delivery system. David Chambers says lead roles in this production were not just played onstage.
“Our technical crew stepped into the management of the show and, at one time, our stage manager Brent Criglington appeared to be doing the work of three stage managers. He was supported by deputy stage manager Henry Seaton, who coordinated the lighting and sound. “Special mention must also go to Peter Hewson and Elayne Butler, who cleverly crafted the five silent movies which were then converted to talking movies. These underlined the major theme of the show – that the ‘talkies’ were the monumental change in film technology.”
As with all musicals, the strength of the show is its music and Nick Sutcliffe’s musical direction was a fitting farewell to his time at College. “Nick trained the singers and drew an exciting performance from them,’’ says David. “He also managed the 18-piece orchestra, who were perched high in the rigging above the rain. It was a fantastic effort by everyone, but especially Nick who will be greatly missed.’’
“There is no doubt that the absolute showpiece was the finale with the radiant rain sequence and the rainbow lighting, which the audience absolutely loved.” David Chambers
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College Issue 33 2017
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