Bridge Theatre – until 24 February 2024
Reviewed by Phil Brown
5*****
When an entire audience leaves with beaming faces, a spring in the step, and joy in the heart, and gentlemen are whistling “Luck be a Lady Tonight” in the loos, you know that it’s been a show of rare quality. Maybe I lead a sheltered life, but it felt like the best night out for a long, long time. A triumph for director Nicholas Hytner and his team – Tom Brady (Musical Supervisor & Conductor), Arlene Phillips and James Cousins (Choreography), and Bunny Christie (Set & Costume & Designer) and, of course for the entire cast
The original Broadway production of “Guys and Dolls”was in 1950 and the first UK production in 1953. Since then, it’s been almost as regular as panto on London stages. And there is a very good reason for it – a simple, witty, but captivating storyline (Abe Burrows with Jo Swerling) populated by the vivid characters from Damon Runyan’s brilliant comic writing about Broadway lowlife, and the outstanding song craft of Frank Loesser. My verdict on the star studded 2018 production of “Guys and Dolls” at the Royal Albert Hall was “spectacular”. This show towers above it for entertainment value.
One of the key differences was the richly immersive experience created at the Bridge Theatre, from the moment you enter the building. The Bridge made the most of its “in the round” configuration by staging the action as a promenade event with the whole of the ground floor, normally, a conventional stage and stalls, given over to a performance space accommodating various rise and fall stages and a standing audience – an inspired way of improving audience engagement and fun for everyone. “NYPD cops” made sure standing audience members were shepherded appropriately as the different stages popped up and down in the course of the show. What could have been a logistical nightmare worked perfectly.
Before the opening, this space simulated a busy pre-show Broadway with the necessary neon and “walk/don’t walk” signs as well as hot dog and drink stalls. During the interval, it became the Hot Box nightclub with a vocal group reprising numbers from Act One and a special performance by Miss Adelaide (played by Marisha Wallace) that some lucky guy sitting on stage will dine out on for a long time. And, afterwards, it became a dance floor with cast and audience mixing freely and indulging in some manic dance jamming.
To briefly summarise the plot – Nathan Detroit (played by Owain Arthur) needs cash to hire a venue for his floating crap game. To raise the money he bets that the more cerebral Sky Masterson (Andrew Richardson) won’t be able to fly a beautiful member of the Save-A-Soul-Mission, Sarah Brown (Celinde Schoenmaker), to Havana for dinner. Meanwhile Nathan is trying to dodge marriage to his fiancée of 14 years, Miss Adelaide (Marisha Wallace), and Sky falls in love with Sarah and arranges for 12 sinners (Nathan Detroit and his associates) to be delivered to the Save-A-Soul-Mission for saving.
This was a really well conceived and well-oiled show in all respects. Sets were smartly changed by using ceiling hung neon signage illuminated with precision timing, the only conventional props being a few tables and chairs , a hat-stand, a smoking industrial pipe and some street lights. Economical and effective. Dialogue was snappier than brand new elastic. Classic songs were delivered with real verve. Dance routines performed on the limited space afforded by the staging were small miracles of gymnastics and razor sharp coordination. The band was on fire. And so was the cast.
Of the four main leads, the superb Marisha Wallace was perfectly cast as Miss Adelaide and glamorous Hot Box nightclub singer. Relatively new cast member Owain Arthur played the ducking and diving Nathan Detroit, to a tee, featuring a showpiece duet with Miss Adelaide – “Sue Me”. Andrew Richardson as Sky Masterson was coolness personified – as smooth as the dulce de leches he fed Sarah Brown (Celinde Schoenmaker) in Havana. He summed up a central theme in “Guys and Dolls” – “Why is it the minute you dolls get a guy that you like, you take him right in for alterations?” There were also several good moments in the singing spotlight with Sarah (“I’ll Know” and “I’ve Never Been in Love Before” as well as the lead on the swinging “Luck Be a Lady Tonight”. Celinde Schoenmaker didn’t quite capture the virginal purity we might expect of the innocent Sarah Brown and her singing occasionally verged on harsh, but these are minor quibbles. Her big number was the ringing “If I Were a Bell” delivered with due abandon. Possibly the performance of the night belonged to the excellent Cedric Neal playing Nicely Nicely Johnson with a rollicking, crowd pleasing, show stopping “Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat”.
This show is simply sensational. No detail has been overlooked, as illustrated by the wonderfully informative programme which even has a section on how to shoot craps. As a self confessed “Guys and Dolls” nut, I wonder if such a scintillating performance could ever be surpassed. Right now, it’s the only legal high in town…