Was luck on the side of the Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company as they present Guys and Dolls this week?
There’s more than just the luck of the dice at play at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, as the in-house company take on the musical classic Guys and Dolls.
With music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, and inspired by the short stories of Damon Runyon, we enter the world of gamblers and lovers in New York.
We’re introduced to mid 20th century New York City with a luscious overture from the 11-piece band, led by the always brilliant musical director Jess Viner, who provide a rich and detailed play throughout the whole show.
The stage is filled with New Yorkers from all walks of life, and sets up the question – where, and how, is Nathan Detroit going to hold his famous craps game?
Kit Stroud as Nathan Detroit is very fun to watch, his attempts to keep everything under control carries an air of being on the brink of a mental breakdown. He has lovely chemistry with Jennifer Jones’ Miss Adelaide, who nails the accent and does an impressive job of not leading the character into caricature.
Rebecca Jackson as Sarah Brown is a sweet delight, whose pure voice executes the high notes with ease. It makes for a great contrast with Callum Mathers’ Sky Masterson, a confident charmer with a voice as smooth as Sinatra.
Other cast standouts include Adam Gill as Nicely-Nicely Johnson, seemingly a role he was born to play, who brought the house down with his rendition of ‘Sit Down You’re Rocking The Boat’. He was a superb double act with Tom Menarry’s Benny Southstreet, a performer I increasingly look forward to seeing. Together, their rendition of ‘Guys and Dolls’ was a perfect example of true showmanship.
Caitlin McDowell as Big Jule was a true highlight, who garnered every possible comedic angle for her character. Also, proving that there’s no such thing as small parts, Sadie Sørensen and Liz Campbell lit up the ensemble – putting their all into every second they were on stage.
The ensemble and choreography (Lorna Newby) came into their own in big group numbers ‘Havana’ and ‘The Crapshooters’ Dance/Luck Be Lady’ – the latter particularly impressive as it made watching people throw invisible dice very engaging, and the former having the added delight of the show’s director Kathryn Lay.
Some uncertainty over choreography meant that the energy flagged occasionally – but could be easily fixed with just smiling through it.
The staging was often simple, and could have perhaps at points have a bit more oomph. ‘Marry The Man Today’ was a standout from a vocal point of view, however I think a bit more for the staging would have worked well and to give Jones and Jackson a bit more to do. There were occasional sound issues with missed mic cues and sometimes the band being louder than those on stage, but these were minor.
The costuming on display did elevate the production to another level, and helped fully immerse the audience into the Nw Yorkian life of the 1950s.
The plot of Guys and Dolls is a bizarre one, but the Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company do a commendable job of imbuing these characters with heart so that we’re very happy as an audience to be joining them for the ride.
Don’t leave it up to chance – book now to secure your tickets.
Guys and Dolls is at Joseph Rowntree Theatre until Saturday 11 July. Tickets start from £12 and are available here.
