Guys & Dolls

A show that premiered in 1950 on Broadway is still standing the test of time. It is a timeless piece evident from its many revivals and it will retain its allure for many years to come. A real crowd pleaser and it is a show that just keeps giving. Slap-stick style script offering so many comedic moments, colourful characters, stunning musicality and big dance routines.

I absolutely love to see a live band in the pit not only do they add a warmth to the production but they offer a great support to the players on stage. Our evening started and ended listening to golden brass tones of this orchestra. I was very pleased to hear the overture in its entirety, and felt very assured that under the secure baton of Michael J Scott, we were indeed in for great evening musically. A great balance of sound between stage and pit, never was any player on stage competing with the orchestra. Harmonies throughout were of a very high standard and I was impressed with the quality of sound produced by the male ensemble. Standout numbers of the production which I must commend the vocals on were, “Oldest Established”, “Luck be a Lady” and “Sit down you’re rocking the boat”, all of which were delivered with great dynamics, light and shade. Your approach made songs I have heard so often somehow have a new lease of life.

The direction in this production was very imaginative and creative. Joanna must be congratulated on delivering a production which was so slick and pacey. Not only that but it gave us wonderful characters, granted these are provided by the script but she has given them new life and I felt even more engaged with characters such as Harry the Horse and Rusty Charlie than ever before.

A colourful bustling Broadway street scene greeted us when the curtain was raised. Lots of business and chaos provided good energy to set the rest of the show. Lots of character work done with the ensemble gave us tourists, nuns, hotdog seller and ladies of the persuadable kind. It made the whole scene interesting. The same energy was given to the Havana Fight scene, lots of wonderful character work with fine detail made a standard fight scene one of the funniest things I have seen in some time. The genius addition of Nathan and Sky appearing as the men Adelaide and Sarah dream of was hilarious. A very well thought out vision which was delivered by great characters.

The choreography within the production was creative and demanding. In this case I felt the male chorus really came through, the crap shooters section was really well put together and “Luck be a lady is also worthy of a mention. “Sit down you’re rockin the boat” was so polished and the use of the chairs was excellent. This number for me was the highlight of the evening, the energy and timing of every dancer was perfect. The close working relationship between the production team also came across very well, during the Havana fight scene which contained an excellent fusion of dancing and acting. It was really excellent.

The set provided by Scenic projects was a real treat, the sliding flats added layers to the streets and fly-in scenes meant that everything flowed so well. Never were we waiting for a scene change, it all happened so very fast. The only drawback with the set was that at times the flats didn’t come across the stage far enough and at times our eye was drawn to crew placing chairs behind for the next scene. Lighting was good throughout and the lighting plot suited the vision set out by the director. Sound was really impressive showing a great balance between stage and pit. Lovely balance was attained from the ensemble and main roles when required to sing together.

Jo Novoa- Bradley gave some new life to Sarah Brown. She portrayed a fiery character with some nice comedy as the show progressed. She sang with ease and had really great vocal clarity in the upper register, she hit her notes beautifully. A good rendition of “If I were Bell”, where we get to see a somewhat different version of this character. I felt there were some breathing issues in this number due to the previous physical fight scene but this added to the character. Lovely performance.

Sky Masterson, a good grounded portrayal of this role. A laidback approach to the character contrasted perfectly with the high energy provided by the Nathan Detroit role. A good vocal range delivered one of the biggest crowd pleasers of the evening “Luck be a lady”.

Daniel Richter as Nathan Detroit, gave in my estimation one of the finest performances I have seen of this part. Yes, the character is well written but Daniel’s characterisation was so believable. Every gesture, facial expression and body movement was perfect. The accent never once dropped. Add his perfect comic timing and you have one rip-roaring Nathan Detroit on your hands. He worked so well with the rest of the cast and was a pleasure to see his performance. “Sue Me” was a standout for this performer due to the perfected timing. A person so young to take on such an iconic role should be applauded for his fabulous portrayal of the character.

Kelly Herridge gave a good comic performance as the long-established girl-friend Miss Adelaide. Nathan and Kelly had great chemistry and they really bounced off each other. A fine vocal performance came from this lady. I would have liked even more softness in the voice in her reprise of “Adelaide Lament”. Her performance of “Sue Me” was excellent. I enjoyed her performance and loved the expected handkerchief moments supplied by her.

Dan Grimes as Nicely-Nicely Johnson, what a role to play, and play it he did. A fine actor displaying many qualities within this role, a great accent, a sense of stupidity, and a great vocal to add. A very confident performance was well received by the audience. His version of “Sit down you’re rockin the boat” gave a real thrill to all there- Well done!

Benny South-street played nicely by James Gibbons. He had good presence and added good comedy. It must be added that the three gentlemen playing Nicely-Nicely, Benny and Rusty performed as a trio and supported the comedy throughout the show. Their performance of “Fugue for Tinhorns” was great, considering the difficulty of this song. Rusty played by Jonny Stewart added nicely to the trio, giving good support to the group. Nice touches of comedy.

Mike Hall gave a heart-warming rendition of “Arvide Abernathy”, supported by some nice acting. He had a nice vocal tone and his delivery of “More I cannot wish you” was a tad on the fast side but very nice nonetheless.

Sara Worton as General Cartwright, was performed well, giving the right amount of hardness when required, some glimpses of comedy coming through during “Sit down you’re rockin the boat.”

The always looking Lieutenant Brannigan was delivered well by Tom Evans. Good performance throughout.

It must be said that all the performers added lovely layers to this show each giving some nice characterisation. There was a real sense of teamwork and it looked like everyone was enjoying themselves.

I must commend the costume department for their hard working on making this show visually great. We saw some great typical gangster costumes, brightly coloured and I really loved the spats.

The hair and additional moustaches of the male roles looked very well and they certainly went the whole hog in looking the part.

Overall this was a very good, polished and confident production that delivered all the wit and humour the script allows. It was a pleasure to attend and I look forward to your next production.

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