Guys and Dolls

USER (14Dec06): “Guys & Dolls” Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, Wednesday 13 December 2006 Starring Nigel Harman, Bonnie Langford and Joe McGann Last night saw a capacity audience knocked out by the music and lyrics of Frank Loesser and some dynamic performances on stage. The 4-week engagement at the Alex, which runs until 6 January 2007, also saw the welcome return of a classic Broadway musical currently enjoying great success in the West End. Nigel Harman probably best known for his long running role in the BBC soap EastEnders reprises his West End performance as Sky Masterson. Nigel has considerable stage experience and uses all of this to bring to life a legendary stage character. Whilst not the most charismatic of performances he was a huge hit on the night. The delectable Bonnie Langford as Miss Adelaide complete with superb Brooklyn accent wowed the audience and was the undoubted star of the evening. Diminutive she may be but she is larger than life and twice as energetic. She stole the show with “Bushel and a Peck” and “Take Back Your Mink”. Joe McGann played gambler Nathan Detroit complete with hound dog expression befitting a man trapped into marriage after only 14 years of engagement! Lisa Stokke was well cast as Sarah Brown the Salvation Army sergeant and love interest of Sky. Her transformation from a prim and proper soul to the Bacardi fuelled vamp during the production number Havana was very amusing and a high point of Act 1. As with the original musical production the role of Nicely Nicely Johnson is pivotal to the success of the show and Christian Patterson recreates the role so closely associated with the late Stubby Kaye with real energy. Musical numbers such as “The Oldest Established Permanent Floating Crap Game in New York”, “Guys & Dolls” and “Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat” were as lively as memorable. Directed by Jamie Lloyd with some excellent choreography by Chris Bailey the production also boasts some beautiful 1940s period costumes. I did however find the atmosphere created by the lighting to be one of darkness and shadows and would like to have seen the stars more brightly illuminated at times. However it was marvellous to hear a large orchestra under Musical Director James Dunsmore play Frank Loesser's score without the aid of any synthesisers and this made me realise just how good the music is. Overall a very entertaining evening and one which marks a great start to a long national tour of the show. Clive Fuller