I am very partial to Guys and Dolls, and always have been. I loved the film, if only because Marlon Brando had all the good songs and Frank Sinatra was almost a support act. I saw the original Richard Eyre National Theatre production in 1984 which was the first of the old-time musical revivals – a fairly bold step which opened the floodgates to a whole string of rediscoveries. So, I have to admit I was very much looking forward to this.

Looking back, both the film and the NT production, despite some outstanding performances, rather lacked pizazz. They weren’t dull exactly, but they weren’t really exciting. This new production, directed by Gordon Greenberg for the Chichester Festival Theatre, is just that – exciting. It is big and brassy, colourful and daring. It has taken the show by the scruff of its neck and given it a jolly good shaking and what has emerged is fabulous.

Guys and Dolls is one of those shows where you look forward to each and every song – it’s impossible to choose a favourite. There are the big production numbers like Luck Be A Lady, the wonderful lyrics of comedy songs like Take Back Your Pearls and tender, melodic love songs like I’ll Know and I’ve Never Been in Love Before. By the way, in case you get confused, the song A Woman in Love was added for the film, and was not in the original stage show.

Based on a couple of Damon Runyon short stories Frank Loesser’s lyrics capture the mood, vibrancy and underlying sleaziness of 1950’s New York. Each of the characters is finely etched and offers any actor worth his salt a golden opportunity to hone a fine performance – and that’s just what we got.

I guess there are three characters who get the best bits – Sky Masterson, Miss Adelaide and Nicely Nicely Johnson. I really enjoyed Richard Fleeshman as Sky. He looked good and was totally believable as the smooth, dice-playing hustler who falls for a prim and proper Salvation Army girl. Miss Adelaide must be one of the most coveted female parts in musical theatre. Her opening, throw-away line as she walked on stage – “ . . . it was like a button mushroom in a fur coat . . .” – heralded a lusciously brash, though endearing, performance from Louise Dearman.

Possibly the biggest and best production number in the show was Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat from an excellent and engaging Jack Edwards as Nicely Nicely. I liked the seedier-than-usual Nathan Detroit played by Maxwell Caulfield and Peter Harding made a sympathetic and understanding Arvide Abernathy and his song More I Cannot Wish You was very nicely and movingly done. The ensemble work was always energetic and vibrant with choreography from Andrew Wright and ballet star Carlos Acosta.

Visually the show was jaw-droppingly good. The basic giant arch of a set by Peter Mackintosh was an ever-changing kaleidoscope of advertising slogans, street signs and other New York ephemera which worked perfectly and the lighting by Tim Mitchell created a never-ending visual feast.

This is an excellent, new and exciting production of one of the best shows ever to have emerged from Broadway. If you’ve never seen it before you’d be a fool to miss it. If, like me, you are a bit of an aficionado, you won’t be disappointed.    ★★★★★    Michael Hasted   13th July 2016

Photo – Johan Persson