By Doreen Crowther, Showbusiness Correspondent THE star of a top, smash-hit musical is from Bolton.

Paul Robinson plays movie star Don Lockwood (the Gene Kelly role in the film) in the West Yorkshire Playhouse's revival of Singin' in the Rain.

Tall, dark and handsome, Paul is from Blackrod and his early education was at Blackrod Methodist Church School.

He comes from a strong musical background.

His late grandfather, Joe, was a musical director in the Adlington area. Paul's father, Eddie, was a band leader in the Bolton area and also at the Tower Ballroom, Blackpool, and his mother, Pauline was a singer. She worked under the name of Paula Darrell.

Not surprisingly, Paul set his sights on a theatrical career.

I spoke to him after the first night of Singin' in the Rain and he told me it had been "fantastic".

He was full of praise for the show's director Jude Kelly. "She can perform miracles," he said.

Paul lived in Blackrod until he was 10 and attended school there.

"I used to put on shows in the garden at home and charged two pence for people to get in," he said.

During a week when his father was conducting at the Tower Ballroom, Paul entered the talent contest every night singing I've Got No Strings To Hold Me Down.

"I came last every night until the final competition when I came second," he said.

Paul started at the Marj-Ann School of Dancing in Chorley when he was seven and continued dance classes when the family moved to Hampshire.

Later he completed a musical theatre course at the Arts Educational College.

He has done a wide variety of work on stage and in television.

Paul has appeared in the Children's Royal Variety Show, the Russ Abbot Series and the Jonathan Ross and Joe Longthorn shows for TV. On stage he played Tom Jenkins for the national tour of Scrooge The Musical and among the productions he has appeared in are 42nd Street at Drury Lane and the national tour of the Michael Ball Concert.

He was the lead dancer with Tap Dogs, the energetic shows which boosted tap dancing, and was with the production for its UK, USA and European tours.

Paul is thrilled to be in Singin' in the Rain but admitted: "It's a real challenge trying to live up to Gene Kelly".

Certainly the accent is no problem for Paul. He lived in America for some time and came back from there to audition for the Don Lockwood role.

Paul has no doubts how he feels about the part. "It's the pinnacle for me," he said.

The judges at those talent shows in the Tower Ballroom ought to go along to the West Yorkshire Playhouse and see Paul now.

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