IT'S never easy to stage a show which rests largely on the success of one number; it's even harder when that number is probably one of the most iconic in the musical comedy panoply and it is perhaps here that AAODS bit off more than it could chew with its production of Singin' in the Rain, which opened at the Borough Theatre on Tuesday.

With expectations high, the keenly anticipated title number came in with a whimper not a bang and left the audience high and dry...literally for it was not a case of 'water, water everywhere' but water, water... anywhere?

To be fair to leading man Stephen Hopkins, Gene Kelly he may not be, but it's not easy looking comfortable 'splashing' your way along a street which has seen less rain than a Californian desert with his only help a lighting effect which looked more like a torrent of tadpoles slushing down the back cloth than a tropical storm, so the poor chap was on a hiding to nothing from the outset.

The fact that the show-stopping number came at the end of a first act which lasted almost an hour and forty minutes did little to help it, with the countless scene changes adding to the disjointed feel of the slow opening half.

That said, there was much to commend the show - the catchy melodies come like April showers and provide light relief and there were some lovely moments created by Deborah Harrington in her directorial debut.

Many of these it has to be said, were provided by her daughter Laura Harrington, who was an absolute scene stealer in the role of Lina Lamont - her first leading role for the company.

Showing a deft hand for comedy she was a

delight from her first appearance on stage, with her Act II solo What's Wrong with Me the standout number of the show and her attempts to master microphone techniques undoubtedly the comic highlight.

Playing opposite her as Don Lockwood, Stephen Hopkins worked hard but never really looked comfortable only really showing his full flair in the lively Good Morning for which he was joined by Luke Williams and Alys Le Moignan as Cosmo Brown and Kathy Selden.

Both AAODS junior section alumni Luke and Alys worked well, with Alys shining in the ballad Would You and Luke singing and dancing up a storm in Make 'Em Laugh.

Fellow junior member Alex Williams also made his mark as Roscoe with John Benjamin as the beleaguered studio head R?F Simpson.

As always AAODS chorus work was good, if not always quite uninhibited enough for the Hollywood feel of the show - there were times it was all a bit too nice when what we wanted was a bit of oomph - although I'm sure there wasn't anyone in the audience who wasn't exhausted by the end of the colourful and lively tap number Broadway Melody.

In short this is a show which for many reasons, not one of them effort or hard work, is not likely to go down in the annals of AAODS' greatest successes - it's slow, it's disjointed, it lacks polish, the cast at times look uncomfortable and not an easy fit with each other, but on the plus side it's packed with familiar sing-a-long numbers, there are some very good performances and as the week progresses and these settle down, it has the potential to improve dramatically.