Guys and Dolls

From the opening notes of the overture this was a very good looking production.    Scenery, props and costumes were all in black and white with splashes of red.   The fixed set was very simple, it just had two or three levels, with various additions for the numerous scenes. A lot of attention had been paid to detail which maintained the feel of the period.

The overture had splendid choreography and this standard was maintained throughout the production, - “A Bushel and a Peck” and “Take Back Your Mink”.  The Crapshooters dance and “Luck be a Lady” were absolutely stunning and so well controlled.

Adelaide (Siobhan Clifford) was not the usual blonde airhead.   She played the part completely straight and although she did this very well indeed it meant that there was not enough contrast between her character and that of Sarah Brown.   Adelaide’s scene with Nathan (Nicholas Earnshaw) when she is telling him about the tales she has told her mother about their relationship was very amusing.  Nathan’s facial expressions and reactions were a sight to behold.

Charlotte Hernandez was very good as the pious Salvation Army Sergeant as she and her fellow officers attempted to convert the sinners.  Her “drunken” scene with Sky Masterson (Tom Gosling) in Havana was very funny.

Amongst the Crapshooters was Big Julie (Helen-Sian Tisdale) together with her retinue of  female Crapshooters.    Although this has been done in other productions of the show I felt that this interpretation worked very well indeed, as they were all equal to the men in their performance.

Ron Jackson as Arvide  did full justice to the beautiful number “More I Cannot Wish You”.

The whole production had been well thought out and, therefore, very entertaining.

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