Review: GUYS & DOLLS, Bridge Theatre (Sept 2024)

Photo credit: Manuel Harlan

We are back at the Hot Box, Besties, to see how new ‘Save our Soul’ missionaries Gina Beck and Michael Simkins slot into their new roles as Sarah Brown and Arvide Abernathy respectively, in the Bridge Theatre production of Guys & Dolls.

“Chemistry?” “Yeah Chemistry!” accurately depicts Beck’s Sarah Brown performance and relationship with Sky Masterson (George Ioannides). We were very complimentary about Ioannides in our original review and he continues to wow audiences with his performance.

With a new leading lady finding the chemistry to encapsulate the audience can be difficult but both Beck and Ioannides do this with ease and depict a relationship between opposite personalities.

Beck has a beautiful singing voice and doesn’t miss a note, displaying so much emotion in her voice. Her acting is very poised and Amy Adams-esque, and she is a joy to watch in the scenes set in Havana.

The scenes she has with Miss Adelaide are very touching as wronged ‘dolls’ and with a great hit of comedy in ‘Marry the Man Today’.

Michael Simkins gives an astute performance as Arvide Abernathy, providing the fatherly chemistry with Beck’s Sarah Brown. He does a great job of appearing very stern in Act One with limited lines but, in the second act, comes into his own. His stage presence is such that he doesn’t need to speak to make an impact on the scenes.

His version of ‘More I Cannot Wish You’ is very gentle and the lighting of this scene helps the feel of that unconditional support that he is trying to convey.

The set remains an incredible design feat by Bunny Christie, aiding the show’s fast pace and makes wonderful use of playing in-the-round. It is a fascinating watch, and you can see the stage hands doing their work, integrating with the immersive crowd.

The premise of the round is underused and under Nicholas Hytner’s direction, there is no reason it shouldn’t be utilised more. Arlene Phillips and James Cousins choreography is perfection and they use both the moving set and the fact that it is in-the-round to their advantage, ensuring nothing goes unmissed by the audience no matter where they are sat.

The Bridge production of Guys and Dolls is still as scintillating as ever and is definitely worth a watch before its final performances in January 2025.

Reviewed by: Emma Rooney

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