Music and Lyrics: Frank Loesser
Book: Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows
Director: Nicholas Hytner
It’s been a year since Nicholas Hytner’s interpretation of Guys & Dolls, which places the action of Frank Loesser’s musical on an ever-changing series of stages rising from within a floor full of standing audience members, opened at the Bridge Theatre.
As it commences its second year, there are some cast changes. Most notably, Marisha Wallace, Daniel Mays and Cedric Neal (Adelaide, Nathan Detroit and Nicely-Nicely Johnson) have departed, leaving Celinde Schoenmaker as the sole big hitter from the original line-up (George Ioannides, who took over from Andrew Richardson as Sky Masterson, also remains in the role). But thrillingly, the sense of immersion into the world inspired by Damon Runyon’s New York short stories of hoodlums and the women who love them remains as enthralling as ever.
As perhaps the most pivotal role, Owain Arthur has the biggest job although, since he filled in for Mays for three months last year, it is one to which he is no stranger. His Nathan Detroit, an inveterate host of floating dice games who is unable to commit to his fiancée of fourteen years, is an affable bumbler, less prone to attempting to be suave than Mays’s interpretation of the role.
He is paired with Timmika Ramsay as the lovelorn Adelaide, the lead dancer at the Hot Box club who wishes her boyfriend would settle down. Ramsay doesn’t stray too far from the template that Wallace created with her version of the character. Indeed, at first, it feels like she is playing Wallace as much as she is playing Adelaide. But she quickly grows in stature and confidence; by Act II’s great opening number, Take Back Your Mink, this is wholeheartedly Ramsay’s show.
Such growth means that Hytner’s production continues to shine. From its recognition that Adelaide and her dance troupe, often played solely for comedy, are popular because they are sexy. Ramsay and her dancers get to show that side off with help from Bunny Christie’s costume designs and choreography from Arlene Phillips and James Cousins, which makes every visit to the Hot Box a pleasure.
With that level of sultry bombast, Ioannides’ interpretation of Sky Masterson can sometimes feel a little underwhelming in comparison. But his chemistry with Schoenmaker, as his gambler and her Salvation Army puritan learn and grow from each other, is undeniable. And while the show’s interlude, where the couple jet off for an evening in Havana, Cuba – only five hours flight each way, no big deal – stretches the musical’s plot way beyond credulity, the Latin fervour with which the ensemble kicks into their salsa moves for the sequence more than makes up for that.
Indeed, Loesser’s score is the real star of the night throughout. Few musicals contain quite so many numbers recognisable as standalone hits, and each one is given its moment to shine here.
But the greatest of all has to be Act II’s Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat. The increasing tempo and tight, perfectly executed choreography already make sure it’s one of the highlights of the show. But it gives Jonathan Andrew Hume, up til then a fun sidekick of Arthur’s Nathan, the chance to show just what a powerful performer he can be, given the opportunity. Cedric Neal gave the performance of his lifetime in the role; Hume takes those big shoes, fills them and proceeds to take command.
The in-the-round staging still presents a few blocking and sightline issues from time to time, even for those seated rather than with the more immersive standing tickets. But they are brief and to be expected for a show that is so determined to bring the action, the romance and the comedy into people’s faces.
One of the most impressive elements of Guys & Dolls, as with Hytner’s Shakespeare productions for the Bridge that used the same format, is how well the stage management team mounts and breaks down sets, simultaneously shepherding the audience so that everything flows smoothly. By the end of the show, they join the cast on stage to take a bow, and it is richly deserved.
And that strikes at the heart of everything that works with Guys & Dolls. Like Runyon’s stories, it is an ensemble piece full of colourful, lovable characters. And while some of the actors may have changed, this production has not: it is as fine and magical a rendition of Frank Loesser, Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows’ musical as one could possibly hope for.
Booking until 31 August 2024
The Reviews Hub Score
Magical
