Long May It Reign

HOW THEY MAKE RAIN: ANSWERED by company manager Gareth Akhurst.

l How do you produce rain effects on stage? The spec was a system that produced rain that looked like rain and not water coming out of a leaking hosepipe. It also needed to be freeflowing, quick to drain away and transportable. And that was Charlie Camm’s job, to design and produce it so that we could take the system on tour without him.

l How much water is used?

There is a 100 litre tank storing the water on the side of the stage with two industrial pipes which take it up to the rain bar. But about 65 litres are used each time it rains which then drains back into a second tank and then pumped back to the original tank.

l Do you have to colour the water as they did in the film?

We did try it with milk but we then had to wash all the costumes after every show because milk goes off and smells, so we just use ordinary tap water now with good lighting.

l How many pipes are used?

Five pipes go across the stage using an industrial irrigation system and release 1000 drops under pressure producing 600,000 drops of water over five minutes.

l How long did it take you to develop the system?

Three months from start to finish.

l How long does the rain last for?

Four minutes max.

l How does the water drain away so quickly in time to set up the next scene in the show?

The stage has a 1cm rake which is enough to drain the water off but leaves enough for the cast to splash in it where needed, without it puddling. Guttering takes the water to a bilge punp where it’s pumped back into a separate tank.

l Is it dangerous?

No, we use a combination of glaze and sand to stop it being slippery, and after it rains it’s the interval so we can mop it up.

l How real does it look? Scarily real!

l How long does it take to set up the whole system?

Two days, but that’s good in theatreland. Mary Poppins’ set takes 4-5 days to erect.

l How many people does it take to set it up?

We have a crew of 14 and then hire 12 locals in each new location.

l Has it ever gone wrong and left Tim dry as a bone?

No, but there are two pumps, so if one fails we don’t have to throw buckets of water from the wings!

l How many times does it rain? Three times l How do you keep the water clean?

The tanks have a filter and we use chlorine.

FOLLOWING IN GENE KELLY'S FOOTSTEPS PICTURE a four-year-old boy staring animatedly at a black and white movie screen watching his idol Gene Kelly splashing about in the rain, glued to his every move.

Then fast-forward to that same small boy years later, warming up for the opening night as the lead in the musical of that very same film.

Yes, Tim Flavin, above, has come a long way – all the way from Houston,Texas, actually – and by his own admission is living the dream.

“I know, it’s amazing that back then Singin’ In The Rain was just a twinkle in the eye and here we are now – it’s come to fruition and it’s a classic Hollywood musical. And it’s an honour to be following in Gene Kelly’s footsteps, because he changed my life.”

Not many boys in Texas went to ballet school back then, “they weren’t exactly lining up” were Tim’s exact words.

But that didn’t deter him. In fact, Tim’s is a real rags to riches story, although he steers away from the ‘dysfunctional family’ tag.

“Well, my parents were divorced and my mother was trying to bring up three boys on her own, so I think she was just pleased I was doing anything but become a juvenile delinquent,” he laughs. “I was occupied, that was the main thing, and they just let me get on with it.”

“But a lot of it was down to being in the right place at the right time,” he says. “I was with my friend who was fitting some acoustic tiling in a dance studio. I must have been peering through the windows and was invited to join in.

“And that was that – I was allowed to do ballet, jazz and tap and in return I cleaned the toilets and mopped the floors,” he says.

“But even then dance was something that was mine and something no one could take away from me. And there was also this instant family who always turned up, same time, same place, same goals, and that was extremely attractive, and I still enjoy that sense of family with the cast to this day.”

It was also fortuitous that the second School Of Performing Arts in the States opened in Houston, and Tim won a scholarship.

Broadway followed, and then leads in the West End brought him to the UK.

Twenty-five years later Tim is still on this side of the pond and dug in with his partner and daughter in Hove.

So what’s the attraction?

“Oh I love the whole relaxed ‘let’s have a cup of tea’ life. It’s so nice. Oh hurrah,” he laughs, “but to be honest it’s not something I’ve thought about a lot. And it’s more interesting being a Yank in the UK than in the US. I just go with the flow, and I’m still flowing.”

Even so the chance to play Gene Kelly was still a massive scoop for Tim, regardless of his previous successes in Chicago, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and 42nd Street, to name but a few.

“Singin’ In The Rain is different because it’s quintessentially American and I feel like an ambassador in that regard for my country.”

Singin’ In The Rain comes to the New Theatre from Tuesday. Call 08448 471588.

FAB FACTS l SINGIN' in the Rain is a 1952 comedy musical film starring Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, and Debbie Reynolds and directed by Kelly and Stanley Donen, with Kelly also providing the choreography.

l The movie is frequently described as one of the best musicals ever made, topping the AFI’s 100 Years of Musicals list.

l Although his performance in the song Singin’ in the Rain is now considered iconic, Kelly was not the first choice for the role — Howard Keel was originally cast. However, Keel was replaced by Kelly as the screenwriters evolved the character from a Western actor to a song-and-dance vaudeville performer.

l Early on in production, Judy Garland, Kathryn Grayson, Jane Powell, Leslie Caron and June Allyson were among the names thrown around for the role of the “ingenue” before Debbie Reynolds won the part of Kathy Selden.

l In the famous dance routine in which Gene Kelly sings the title song while twirling an umbrella, splashing through puddles and getting soaked to the skin, he was actually dancing in water with a little bit of milk added, so that the puddles and raindrops would show up in the filming. Kelly was sick with a 103-degree fever at the time.

l Debbie Reynolds was not a dancer at the time — her background was as a gymnast. Kelly apparently insulted her for her lack of dance experience, upsetting her. Hearing what had happened, Fred Astaire volunteered to help her with her dancing. After shooting the Good Morning routine, Reynolds’ feet were bleeding. Years later, she was quoted as saying that making this film and surviving childbirth were the two most difficult experiences of her life.

l The Singin' in the Rain routine has been parodied many times, including by Morecambe and Wise, Paddington Bear and The Wombles and was once sung by Bill Owen outside Nora Batty’s house in an episode of Last of the Summer Wine.