THIS Damon Runyan inspired piece is a timeless classic in musical comedy.

It has everything – a Frank Loesser score that is peppered with recognisable and much-loved numbers, a bunch of delightful reprobate gamblers and chancers and unlikely love interests that triumph over adversity.

It is a hybrid of Runyon yarns and is, quite deservedly, one of the most favoured musicals of all time.

Nathan Detroit is a ne’er-do-well organiser of crap games (that’s rolling dice to you and me), constantly ducking and diving to avoid the law in the shape of Lt Brannigan. Nathan must also contend with his fiancée of 14 years, Miss Adelaide, the Hot Box dancer, who desperately needs to get married and have five children, for that is what she’s told her mum!

But Nathan’s priority is to find the money to pay for a venue for the crap game and he bets high-roller Sky Masterson that he couldn’t take the passing Save-A-Soul Mission girl with him on his impending journey to Havana.

True love, of course, wins through on both counts for the inevitable “Happy Ending.”

Top sound from musical director Andrew Booth’s band as it sets the Broadway scene.

Then just to cement the excellent beginning, on comes Matt Bird. An
excellent performance throughout with a voice to savour. As Nicely-Nicely Johnson, it ishis lot to open the vocal proceedings and he set the highest of standards. But these standards were well matched by, firstly, Rachel Clines as Sarah, the Mission girl, Andy Quinn as Sky and Kim Harris as Nathan.

Then, just when we thought they must have run out of principal material, on steps Yvonne Taylor as Miss Adelaide.

This production, of course, is essentially a team performance, but Yvonne certainly brings that extra gloss. With blonde perm, high-pitched “New Yoik” patois, she was the complete innocent abroad surroundedby a world of doubtful characters. Superb singing and comic timing, this performance is unlikely to be bettered in the amateur world.

She led a superb line-up of Hot Box girls (fantastic movement here courtesy of choreographer/director Chris Parkes), and Kelly Shaw, Alison Bond, Sinead Parkin, Eloise Oates and Marie Madej performed the Take Back Your Mink “strip” with great gusto. Unfortunately, there’s no room for a deserved encore as they would run out of clothes!

 

 

 

 

 

 

And we still had Rockin the Boat to come. Cue the reappearance of Matt Bird for his big moment as Nicely-Nicely leading his gambling cohorts on the “boat to heaven”. He and they did not disappoint.

Sandwiched in between comes probably the most underrated song in the whole show – More I Cannot Wish You is Arvide Abernathy’s plea to his grand-daughter Sarah to“follow her heart” as she wrestles with her conscience and love for Sky.

Luckily, this piece of pathos was in the very capable hands of Pete Gould, who is more than capable

of wringing every emotion out of a song. With a great opening to any show, as well as the costumes being hugely colourful a great night of entertainment was had by all, and lets face it, RAMTC are hard to beat when it comes to any musical theatre performance.

Well done everyone!

Check out some pics at WWW.RAMTC.ORG

Show Images Joanna Davies

Guys and Dolls 2011 Performed by: RAMTC (Ripley & Alfreton Musical Theatre Company), 8.5 out of 10 based on 6 ratings