MTW’s ‘Guys and Dolls’- Review
Music Theatre Warwick left a sold out studio theatre in amazement after their outstanding performance of Guys and Dolls on Wednesday evening. Excellent choreography, laudable individual performances and the chemistry surrounding the cast helped create a thoroughly entertaining show.
The show sprang into action immediately, as a particularly tight band acted as the driving force behind a comical opening scene. In an interview with Boar Arts 2 weeks ago, the director, Siobhan Brennan, described how each member of the cast had taken on their own character, and this was evident from the very opening scene. The stage soon filled with an assortment of 1950s gamblers and hookers, with accents that could fool the majority of New York.
We are immediately introduced to a desperate Nathan Detroit who struggles incessantly to find a suitable place for his ‘crap game’. Making a strong case for performance of the night, Detroit, played by Ed Franklin, had the audience cackling with laughter as he persistently delayed his fiancé’s 14 year-long wait for marriage. If for no other reason, the show is worth a watch purely for Franklin’s portrayal of a house maid with a feather duster.
The musical numbers throughout Guys and Dolls would be challenging for a lot of professionals. Yet, Robin Kendall, Laura Bird and Beth Holmes sang their individual songs with consummate ease. Robin, playing the lead role of Sky Masterson, sent chills down each audience member’s spine as he and Beth (Sarah Brown) sang “I’ll Know”, after the two met for the first time. However, it was the performance of “Marry the Man Today” by Laura (Adelaide) and Beth that the majority of the audience were humming on their way home. Occasionally, the microphones didn’t reach the right volume and the singer became drowned by the band- a minor blip in what could be considered as an almost faultless performance.
In the second half especially, the show moved along at a very fast rate, with a large number of one-liners putting the audience in stitches. Jim Burrows became a favourite with the many in the studio theatre with his comedic portrayal of Nicely-Nicely Johnson. Ably assisted by Joe-Thompson Oubari (Benny Southstreet), Burrows provided entertaining light-relief as the plot began to get more serious. His rendition of the famous “Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat” and the duo’s performance of “Guys and Dolls” received rapturous rounds of applause from everyone in the theatre.
As previously mentioned, the band played a crucial role in the show, providing great support to the singers on stage. It was almost as if the performers were singing to backing tracks. Clearly, the students behind the instruments were top drawer musicians.
A name that thankfully was included on the programme was the choreographer, Jack Pusey. The dances were expertly directed and, although you wouldn’t exactly describe the Cuban dance scene as a “wildly erotic fiesta full of lasciviously intertwined limbs” as The Guardian’s Michael Billington described Rob Ashford’s choreography in the 2005 production at the Piccadilly Theatre, it was an incredibly well worked routine indeed.
Guys and Dolls still remains one of the greatest musicals to come out of Broadway, and Music Theatre Warwick have done a particularly professional job with this production. This show, guys and dolls, is not one to miss.
Guys and Dolls will be in the studio theatre at Warwick Arts Centre until Saturday 17th May. Tickets are priced at £9.50 for students.
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