Before seeing Guys and Doll my enthusiasm for the broadway musical had been steadily eroded; To often had I endured a bombardment of deplorable numbers sung with the deluded passion of a talentless as been. Guys and Dolls as reinvigorate my passion for the razzle dazzle of the Broadway music. I want to start by direct my burning admiration for this production toward a normally irreverent thing, the stage. The stage had been transformed into hydraulic extravaganza of action. Entire sections of the platform would rise, and full.

Sometimes the stage would move to the rhythm of a slow jazz bar something the uncontrollable vigour of New York’s dancing streets. Director Nicolas Nytner went beyond merely beguile his audience with musical hall
stage marvels, he created a platform that danced with the actors. The haramoney between the stage and the action upon it was captivating. There as never been a stage with more personality. Those members of the audience who stood were pushed away from the changing hydraulic landmass by NYPD officers. The standing audience were effortlessly incorporated into the
transformation landscape. The sitting audience were in front of the Forthwall’s the standing audience were behind. One show two different experiences. From my seat in the Upper gallery, I felt as removed from the perspective of the standing members as a boardroom dwelling capitalist would towards the ant like masses far beneath his skyscraper. The perspective of the standing audience, turned New York pedestrians, inspirited my curiosity but not my envy as the sitting experience
was glorious but no doubt more conventional.

The plot revolves around two sets of lovers and gambling addiction. If this sounds like the premise of a good joke, then it certainly makes for a plot. The relationship between Nathan Detroit (Daniel Mays) and Miss Adelaide
(Marisha Wallace) for me stole the show. Miss Adelaide is normally presented as a foolish show girl; May brought to the character a seductive and strong atmosphere. Adelaide is not deluded but unwilling to abandon her love towards Nathan. She is adorable. The shelf from fool to dreamer made Miss Adelaide complex. She imagines picket fences utopia beyond the sins of New York. She images Nathan will leave with her. But Nathan is a charming gambler not a poster boy for the American nucleus family. His boundless New York charisma makes her devotion towards him totally believable. Nicely-Nicely Johnson (Cedric Neal’s) rendition of ‘Stop Rocking the Boat’ was a moment where theatre becomes real. He sung with the zealous enthusiasm of Gospel choir. Neal’s who played a black American gave voice to gospel
music. The audience started clapping to the music; an act of participation normally resulting in bathos was eye wateringly moving. The threater become a Church and audience the congregation. It is rare for an actor to transport an audience so fully. thunderous applause followed Neal’s number testament to the shared experience.

Through the choreographing, lights, music staging and exclusive acting the scale of New York was brought to the scale of the Bridge Theatre. Such a great scale was felt in such a small space. The performance was a thoroughfare of dance and song. Your internal emotional landscape will be set upon with a velocity and forcefulness that cannot be resistant. Guy and Doll is the kind of performance to charming not to be seduced into a state of delight by. I felt nothing but admiration.

From Nighthawk like cafes to furious and loughed streets to festivals and naughty speak esays this is a journey that must be seen.

By Strabo Newman