Guys and Dolls, West End and UK Tour

I was again stuck in a hotel room and decided to pop off to Birmingham to go and see Guys and Dolls on 24^th November 2015 on its UK tour. I am a creature of habit and of course decided to go to Nando’s for tea; and I really should order something different. I can’t really make this blog overly personal as not much happened apart from the actual show. Apart from me always being late, rushing to get tickets from the stupid self-service machines as well as the annoying train journey there and back. On the way there you get screaming school girls (I shouldn’t judge I am sure I have annoyed plenty on a train journey or two), people on hands free phones (why?) and then on the way back I am minding my own business when some weirdo gets on at Wolverhampton. He sits right opposite me as I am on one of the luxury (lol!) table seats to charge my phone (and the plug doesn’t work) when he sits right opposite me, trying to make eye contact as I try to act as though I am aimlessly looking out of the window. He was a right tool. He put his ear phones in and pretended to play the imaginary drums. I was so annoyed, how ridiculous. And it gets worse. He then decides to be a bloody one man band and plays the imaginary piano. Ridiculous! Well maybe I can make this blog a bit personal even if I was on my lonesome.

 

 

Guys and Dolls was fabulous, as would be expected. I have never seen a production before or the film from 1955. The show is about an illegal crap game (dice to us non-New Yorkians); Nathan Detroit who runs the illegal game and his partner Miss Adelaide who hates him playing these games and just wants to get married. Sky Materson turns up and Detroit bets him he can’t take Sister Sarah Brown to Havana; well you guessed it Materson does take her and the both fall in love. Well there is the shortest synopsis I know.   The musical is written by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser. Guys and Dolls hit Broadway in 1950, three years later arriving in the West End with a film adaptation in 1955 (which I really want to see). Since the 1950’s there have been many Broadway, West End, international and national tours. Guys and Dolls has been a huge success; winning Five Tony Awards in 1951 (including Best Musical, Best Leading Actor and Best Featured Actress). The original London production couldn’t win any Olivier’s as they were not awarded out until the 1970’s however it did win five of them in 1982 for the London revival (including Best Musical and Best Actress). Guys and Dolls has continued to win Olivier’s, Tony’s and many other awards for all its revivals (who knew one of my favourite actresses Imelda Staunton was nominated in 1996 for her role as Adelaide – wished I had seen that and congratulations to Staunton for winning the Evening StandardAward 2015 for Best Musical Performance). Right now you know all you need to about guys and Dolls I better review what I saw at The New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham.

 

The set was great and depicted New York billboards. I thought the way the billboards assist in the telling of the story and provided additional information to the audience was interesting, and I wonder whether previous and in fact the original productions incorporated this element.  The set doesn’t change apart from what billboard is lit up but I liked the simplicity of this set. The show is over 60 years old however I don’t think the music reflected this. Some songs felt more modern then the 1950’s. I had not heard much of the Guys and Dolls soundtrack before, obviously ‘Luck be a Lady’ and ‘Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat’. I thought the song ‘Guys and Dolls’ was different and I always remember a Simpson’s episode with an actor who had been playing Detroit (can’t remember who). I have a song in my head that is quite jazzy with the lyrics “Guys and Dolls” but this was not in the production. I love the song ‘A Bushel and a Peck’ and poor Adelaide’s Laments (poor woman – I loved her). The dancing and choreography was second to none – the company and ensemble were really on point and fabulous with their moves (Carlos Acosta and Andrew Wright were the choreographers).

The cast were familiar and worked seamlessly together. David Haig played Nathan Detroit; I recognised Haig from Soldier Soldier and The Thin Blue Line. Haig played the part well and had a surprisingly nice voice. I am always amazed when I hear different accents, maybe as I am so terrible at putting on an accent myself. Jamie Parker played Sky Masterson, also having a very fine voice. I have not seen Parker in singing roles before and I recognised him from The History Boys film. He has been in loads which I didn’t realise and was in the Chichester production of Guys and Dolls. His duets with Sarah Brown were gorgeous and their voices really complemented each other. Brown was portrayed by Siubhan Harrison who I had not heard of before and she has a beautiful voice. I would describe her voice as slightly high pitched but I think this really suited the prudence of her character and that voice could really travel. The show for me was stolen by Sophie Thompson playing Miss Adelaide, and the audience agreed with me according to the reaction she got at curtain call. Her voice, her walk, her dramatics, her woefulness, her humour, HER in general was awesome. She really embraced the role of Adelaide and I warmed mostly to her, she was so sweet. I would have really loved to of seen Imelda Staunton play this role but you can’t have everything in life. Guys and Dolls can be easily seen this year and way into 2016. It arrives at The Savoy Theatre in London on the 10^th December for 13 weeks; after which it is visiting some big cities and theatres including Liverpool, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Dublin, Norwich, Leeds, Glasgow and Cardiff with many other locations too. It really is worth the gamble to go and see this show.