The Theatre resounded with the rattle of dice and
honk of Brooklyn accents, as a vastly talented cast
delighted full houses with a very professional delivery
of the 1950s show Guys and Dolls. Frank Loesser's
comic musical is set amidst the conflict between small-time
crooks and the local police sergeant, with the Salvation Army
caught in the middle, while attempting to save souls. It's a feelgood tale, and Alastair Wood's
direction caught its humour and
romantic heart, with production values often well above the
expectations even of those accustomed to recent King's shows.
Against a backdrop of looming skyscrapers, evocatively lit
by Marcus Bartlett, the principal roles quickly set a very
sophisticated tone. As Nicely Nicely Johnson and Benny
Southwest, Joe Merriweather and Lorcan Cudlip-Cook were
spot-on with their timing and brilliantly-accented, slick repartee.
Josh Stickland played their boss Nathan Detroit, with finelyjudged authority and righteous naivety; as Miss Adelaide, his
fiancée of fourteen years, Emily Albery brought an appropriate
feistiness to her less-patient numbers.
Guys and Dolls
The dramatic high point of the year is reviewed by Toby Smith
Morgan Smith as Ardive Abernathy Paddy Cartwright as Sky Masterson and Alicia Mileham as Sarah Brown
The crap game
Drama
90