Guys and Dolls

The Bridge Theatre's dazzling production of Guys and Dolls proves why immersive theatre is all the rage: brilliantly energetic and effortlessly entertaining, Nicholas Hytner and his creative team have breathed an exhilarating new life into the classic musical, full of heart, romance and raunchiness.

Guys and Dolls is possibly the greatest of the classic golden age musicals; the entertaining farce of the foolish gangsters of New York, and the amusing melodrama of their respective 'dolls' makes for a show that is endlessly funny and self aware. Within its very creation, the show was always innovative: while other shows of this period got caught up in sappy - and now outdated - tales of romance, Guys and Dolls used the stylisation of Runyon to sensationalise the absurdity of New York life, mocking the gangster lifestyle that blossomed in the energetic city. Therefore, it only makes sense that of all the American musicals of the past, it was Guys and Dolls that was most deserving of this lively and thrilling revival that the Bridge Theatre has so cleverly created.

From the moment you step within the auditorium, you're struck by Bunnie Christie's ingenious set design as the sounds of a subway rumbling overhead, car horns and the hustle and bustle of New York echoes through the room. There's a certain level of overstimulation throughout the experience - making me desperate to return to soak even more of the experience in - that forms the most immersive aspect of this show: the energy. While a show like Cabaret is able to fully transport its audience into the world of the Kit Kat Club, a suspension of disbelief still lingers at the Guys and Dolls, where the plot frantically jumps from Havana and a nightclub, to the sewers and streets of New York. And while the theatre distinctly remains a theatre, it is the atmosphere that is most striking as the immersive force in this production. It seems to me that energy and excitement is what Nicholas Hytner wanted to bring out most here, and it is absolutely achieved; you truly feel the thrilling life of these cartoonish gangsters, and the energy of the Hotbox and Havana club.

While the production design is phenomenal, somehow the cast are even stronger: both Cedric Neal and Marisha Wallace give showstopping, powerhouse performances as Nicely Nicely Johnson and Adelaide that leave the audience ecstatic with whooping and cheering, delivering the score's most energetic numbers. Celinde Schoenmaker is equally wonderful as Sarah Brown, and shares a delightful chemistry with Andrew Richardson, who gave my favourite performance of the night - he gives a remarkable stage debut as Sky Masterson with warm, rich, Sinatra-esque vocals and heaps of charisma and charm. The wider ensemble also shine, with Katy Secombe giving a brilliant comedic performance and the Hotbox Girls and Crapshooters delivering thrilling dancing. Finally, for the performance I attended I saw Mark Oxtoby understudying the role of Nathan Detroit: Oxtoby did an incredible job, really leaning into the lovable foolishness of his character which worked a treat.

The show itself is nothing short of a classic. Very few shows can boast a no-skip score, however Frank Loesser's composition can claim exactly that; from the club numbers such as Havana, A Bushel and a Peck and Take Back Your Mink which have an explosive fresh energy breathed into them thanks to Tom Brady's flawless arrangements and Charlie Rosen's lively orchestration, to the iconic love ballads such as I'll Know, If I Were a Bell and I've Never Been in Love Before which are a dream come true to experience in person. While some may fault Swerling and Burrow's book for its outdated attitudes towards women, Hytner carefully circumnavigates this problem through the exploration of power dynamics - here all the women are presented as empowered through their impressive vocal talent, while the show strongly emphasises the foolishness of the Crapshooters.

This production of Guys and Dolls demonstrates exactly why we need more daring and innovative revivals right now: it brings a brilliant classic into a new age with energy, vigor and an immersive ingenuity that adds dynamicism to what some could (incorrectly) view as an 'old-fashioned and boring' piece. Simply sublime in every way.

Guys and Dolls is at the Bridge Theatre until February 2024

https://bridgetheatre.co.uk/performances/

[Watched 29/06/23]

Photography credit: Manuel Harlan