Guys and Dolls is a light hearted feel good musical, this world of gamblers, hookers and missionary soul savers is not something of gritty realism; the characters are painted with broad strokes and often played to stereotype and although it is clear this version of New York’s underbelly in the 1950’s is much cleaner and safer than reality. Its ability to capture an iconic look and feel of those times is its success.
It’s is quite clearly a much loved piece of escapism; risqué
glamour that has captured people’s hearts for generations. Prior to seeing it I
knew little about the show aside from it being about Gangster’s in 1950’s New
York. Whatever expectations I had I can definitely say it surpassed them. It
was a thoroughly enjoyable show. From the energetic choreography to the stylish
set and costumes. It was both humorous and poignant at times. A favourite scene
for me was where Sara Brown and Miss Adelaide comfort each other after their
respective partners let them down but realise that despite their faults they
can’t help but love them. In another production this may seem a bit naïve, but
I found it quite a profound moment, truthful to many in real life.
The cast were universally strong although the stand out
for me was Richard Fleeshman as Sky Masterton, although I may be slightly
biased as I have been a fan of his since watching ‘All the Small Thing’s’ in 2009,
his performance of the charismatic gangster who woes straight laced Sara Brown
was alluring and enigmatic.
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| Richard Fleeshman as Sky Masterton |
With a show like Guys
and Dolls where the cast perform using (slightly corny) American accents I
was slightly dubious how consistent these would be. However on the whole they
were pretty consistent if a little hard to understand at times. I spent half
the show thinking they were saying ‘crab game’ instead of ‘crap game’ until I
checked the programme to see if it mentioned it!
The choreography in Guys
and Dolls is stunning, so energetic and lively from the ‘Hot Box’ show
dances to the immensely enjoyable Cuban scene and the ‘Crap Shooters Dance’ the
show is filled with eye catching numbers. I was particularly excited to see
this part of the show when I found out Carlos Acosta joint choreographed this
revival with Andrew Wright. It was definitely one of the highlights!
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| Guys and Dolls brash electric set bought the show to life |
The story is rather predictable (bad guy woes straight
laced girl for a bet but then the two inevitably fall in love). With glaring
similarities to newer musicals such as Grease
it’s clear it has influenced the musical landscape over the years.
The set and costumes further embodied the energetic warmth
of the show. I was particularly impressed with the set, a stylish, abstract representation
of Times Square/ Broadway; created by setting snippets of vintage advertising behind
bold cartoonish building shapes, lit up in brash gold lights. The set really captured
the razzmatazz of the shows setting.
The costumes felt true to period, particularly the men’s
suits. I was impressed to see many makers mentioned in the programme and
specific wardrobe roles including a dyeing specialist and hat/headdress makers.
The latter does not surprise me as every male member of the cast costume is
topped with a trilby!
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| Some of the male characters and their trilbys. |
It is clear to see why Guys and Dolls has stood the test of time, its bright and bubbly
asethic is heart warmingly good and will leave you feeling with a warm glow of
an evening well spent.
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