Standing around on a rainy Saturday afternoon outside HOME, a group of people dressed in brightly coloured raincoats and carrying umbrellas seem little out of the ordinary.
That is until the song Singin’ in the Rain begins to play and they all burst into dance.
Rather fittingly the weather set the scene, but the drizzle did not deter the dancers as they leapt, twirled and spun their umbrellas in synchronisation. It was an impressive sight that injected some cheer into a grey, rainy day.
The flashmob was organised by the British Film Institute to announce the BFI Musicals! The Greatest Show on Screen season at HOME. A variety of musicals will be shown at the venue over the Christmas period.
The season will feature well-loved musicals like Calamity Jane, which will be a sing along screening, and A Star Is Born. As well as these, audiences are invited to discover lesser-known musicals, such as the Indian production Pakeezah.
As it coincides with HOME’s year of Celebrating Women in Global Cinema, HOME will be celebrating in particular the work of Betty Comden, one half of the comedy duo Comden and Green, who were the writers behind some of cinema’s most popular musicals, such as Singin’ in the Rain and On The Town.
Included among the musicals will be a subcategory, The Backstage Musical: celebrating popular culture in times of struggle, which will highlight films that explored the social issues of the 1930s. Among these is 42nd Street, a musical set during the great depression.
The BFI Musicals! season will start with First a Girl on December 1 and will finish with Pakeezah on January 16.
Full listings are available on HOME’s website: https://homemcr.org/event/bfi-musicals/
