Lights, camera, action!

24 May 2016

From the jaunty, well-known melody of its theme song to the brilliant dancing, Singin’ in the Rain continues to enrapture audiences today, 60 years after it first hit the silver screen. And now, the stage musical has just begun touring around Australia, including Brisbane, Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne and Perth.

“The show is a total joy. That same joy from the movie - even more so - is in the show because you’re seeing it live,” says theatre legend Robyn Arthur, who is performing in the show as Dora Bailey and Miss Dinsmore.

“You’re not looking at it through a screen - you’re seeing live people dancing, it’s very funny and it’s got the best musical score. We have an orchestra of 14 brilliant musicians playing it and the rain is incredible....This is one of the most joyous jobs I’ve ever had being in a show. It’s stunning.”

Robyn’s impressive career spans more than 40 years across theatre, television and film. In fact, she has just finished touring around the country and performing in the play Australia Day and has also completed performing in the premiere of Mother and Son. Other theatre highlights include The Boy from Oz, Beauty and the Beast, Les Miserables, My Fair Lady and Sweeney Todd.

While she may be now 63 years old, Robyn is still going strong and has no plans to retire anytime soon. She has also found that theatre embraces actresses of all ages.

“There’s room for everyone in theatre - that’s the fantastic thing about it. Theatre has to represent society. You’ve got to get a slice of life on stage. Getting the right people of the right age playing the right roles really enriches the show,” she says.

Since Robyn first hit the stage as a 20-year old, she has noticed huge changes in the industry, from the evolution of reality television and the introduction of ‘overnight stars’ to the new pressures on young performers.

“I do a lot of mentoring and coaching for young performers going for auditions and I love seeing the young talent out there,” she says. “I also love watching the young performers in the ensemble in our show. To pull off what they do every night, you need to be highly skilled and highly trained,” she says.

“You can’t just walk in off the street and do Singin’ in the Rain. Reality television has given people the wrong idea with these ‘overnight sensations’. Nothing happens overnight. The people that endure and still have careers have worked very hard to get there. I still do masterclasses and work with various coaches myself to keep things fresh. There’s always something to learn."

For more information and to buy tickets, visit the Singin' in the Rain website.