Guys & Dolls

Guys & Dolls is a pretty well known feel good musical, most people can recognise one or two of the catchy tunes. It was with eager anticipation that I took my seat to watch this production by All Saint`s Elton (Bury). The stage at The Met is quite wide and I do believe that it has very little wing space which is a consideration for the production team when they are planning and plotting the stage. The set was very minimalistic, but it works well for this production. The decision to use a projected backdrop was an excellent one, it adds another dimension, makes the production current and certainly takes away the need for pieces of static scenery, it also adds colour and movement in a different way to the lighting plot. There was a fixed rostrom to the rear of the stage that was incorporated into the scenes well.

Sound was of a good quality throughout the performance after a few sound level issues at the start, all cues were hit on time and I certainly didn`t hear any gremlins. Lighting throughout the show was sympathetic to the scenes, personally I do feel that a few more chances could be taken with the lighting and effects especially in the New York sewer, but I do also understand and acknowledge the added difficulties the tech team have trying to balance with the projections. Costumes by The Boyz Theatre Costumes and Jean Abbott were to a good standard, they were colourful and fitting to the era. I was very pleased to see all the "hoofers"/ Hot Box dancers in the same colour shoes which did change as their costumes and tights did, this small detail can ruin a show so well done - the sweaty quick changes were worth it! The ensemble were very hard working and kept their energy up from the start. I particularly enjoyed the latin style section of dancing when they were in Cuba . I also enjoyed the "Crapshooters Dance" and "Luck Be A Lady ".

Tony Rostron as Nicely-Nicely started us off at a good pace. "Fugue For Tinhorns" is not for the faint hearted to perform as it has the different tunes overlapping and the timing is crucial - Tony was joined in this by Tom Kershaw (Benny) and Andrew Davis (Rusty), the three of them had some great chemistry and really brought their characters to life - the comic timing was good. Olivia Kershaw as Sarah Brown gave us some pleasant vocals both as a soloist and in various duets through the show. Her drunk acting skills are to be commended - it is pretty difficult to act a believable drunk on stage. She worked her stage well and showed some good empathy with her fellow actors, she had a good connection with the audience . Anthony Appleton played her love interest Skye Masterson. Together they showed some superb chemistry on stage and were obviously very comfortable. Anthony gave us some great vocals with some lovely notes sustained, light and shade was good within his vocals, diction was good and he also made a good connection with the audience from the start. Anji Barrett-Chalk as Miss Adelaide and Matthew Flemming as Nathan Detroit stole the show for me, they were excellent within their characterisations both individually and as a pair. From the moment that Miss Adelaide (Anji) appeared with her higher pitched nasal drawl we wanted to see more, we completely warmed to her, her rendition of "Adelaide`s Lament" was beautifully done, timing was excellent, we felt every word and shared empathy with her. Matthew Flemming (Nathan) really made us believe in him, diction and accent was good, his use of the stage space was great , he didn`t overact in parts for an extra laugh, his vocals were good - nice tone. I was pleasantly surprised as I personally have never seen Matthew take on a role like this before, it was great to see him branch out and I hope to see more of it in the future.

A standout moment for me in Guys & Dolls is always "Sit Down You`re Rockin` The Boat", this is led by Nicely - the timing, harmonies and diction are everything and if a choreographer decides to throw in movement too you`ve got extra breathing and note sustainability to think about, All Saint`s Elton (Bury) did not disappoint. They met the challenges head on, ably led by Tony Rostron (Nicely) they brought it home to a glorious toe tapping applause, energy was great, faces were great, movement was in time and executed well. Thank you for inviting me. Well done on your production of Guys & Dolls. I look forward to seeing you all again very soon.

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