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AFTER a successful sevenmonth tour of New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore and Hong Kong, Pieter Toerien is presenting Singin’ in the Rain at Artscape from December 11 to January 10, then heads to Joburg on January 15.

Touring under its London brand, it is based on the comedic 1952 musical on the industry’s stormy switch from silent to sound movies, which starred Gene Kelley and Debbie Reynolds.

We are being treated to the 2011 London West End production: the same set, costumes and creative team, but with a South African company of 27. Grant Almirall and Bethany Dickson take on the principal roles as Don and Kathy, with Steven van Wyk as Cosmo Brown and Taryn- Lee Hudson as Lina Lamont.

Bubbling beneath the glamour and fun in Singin’ in the Rain, is a wry commentary on fame, celebrity the film industry, and the cost of keeping up a façade to conceal personal truths. It’s a period piece but contemporary audiences clearly feel a connection.

What does Grant Almirall think is pulling in audiences?

Singin’ In The Rain PICTURES: HAGEN HOPKINS DRENCHED: Anne Power, Mila De Biaggi, Steven van Wyk, Grant Almirall, Bethany Dickson in at the St James Theatre, Wellington, New Zealand in April.