It’s consistently hailed as one of the greatest musicals, topped Mark Shenton’s list of favourites and was one of the best things we saw last year… and now Chichester Festival Theatre’s superb take on Guys and Dolls is heading to the Savoy Theatre!
The highly acclaimed and sell-out production of Guys and Dolls will transfer to London’s Savoy Theatre in December for a strictly limited 13 week run. Chichester Festival Theatre continue their triumphant musical successes with this exuberant revival which follows transfers of Singin’ in the Rain, The Pajama Game and, most recently, Gypsy. Sophie Thompson and Jamie Parker will reprise their roles, with further casting to be announced. Guys and Dolls will open at the Savoy Theatre on 6 January 2016, with previews from 10 December 2015.
Nathan Detroit is desperate: he needs money for an illegal dice game, and he needs it fast. Not to mention a 14-year engagement with nightclub singer Miss Adelaide (Sophie Thompson), whose patience is finally running out. Enter notorious gambler Sky Masterson (Jamie Parker), a guy who can never turn down a bet, and straight-laced missionary Sarah Brown, a doll with a heart of ice. Nathan’s wager is that Sky has to romance Sarah by taking her to Havana for dinner and in return he’ll provide a dozen ‘sinners’ for Sarah’s mission. Surely this is one bet Nathan absolutely can’t lose?
A joyous and vibrant celebration of Prohibition-era New York, Guys and Dolls first premiered on Broadway in 1950 and captured the optimism and energy of post-World War Two America. This hugely popular and multi award-winning musical, based on the colourful stories by American journalist Damon Runyon renowned for his vivid fictional depictions of the gamblers, hustlers and nightclub singers of New York, features some of Broadway’s greatest musical numbers including ‘My Time of Day’, ‘Luck be a Lady’ and the show-stopping ‘Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat’. Guys and Dolls is directed by Gordon Greenberg with choreography by Cuban dancer and former Royal Ballet star Carlos Acosta and Andrew Wright whose credits include Chichester Festival Theatre’s Singin’ in the Rain.
Sophie Thompson plays Miss Adelaide. Theatre credits include The Physicists (Donmar), She Stoops To Conquer (National Theatre), Clybourne Park (Royal Court), Measure for Measure (Shakespeare’s Globe), Into the Woods(Donmar Warehouse) for which she received an Olivier Award, and Company (Donmar Warehouse and West End). Television credits include Lightfields, Watson and Oliver, Poirot, Doc Martin, Big Top, and Stella Crawford in EastEnders. Film credits include Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, Eat, Pray, Love, Fat Slags, Nicholas Nickleby, Gosford Park, Dancing at Lughnasa, Emma and Four Weddings and a Funeral.
Jamie Parker plays Sky Masterson. Jamie is currently starring as Mike Connor in High Society at The Old Vic. Other theatre credits include Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (Chichester and West End), Proof (Menier Chocolate Factory), Henry V, Henry IV Part I and Henry IV Part 2, As You Like Like It (all for Shakespeare’s Globe), Racing Demon (Sheffield Crucible), Revenger’s Tragedy (National Theatre) and The History Boys (National Theatre, Broadway and Australia and Hong Kong). Television credits include Parade’s End, Silk, The Hour, Silent Witness and Wire in the Blood. Film credits include Le Weekend, Valkyrie and The History Boys.
Director Gordon Greenberg has directed plays and musicals at major theatres across America and Europe, has written for television and stage, and runs the musical theatre program at The New Group in New York. Current projects include the stage adaptation of Tangled for Disney, and a new musical project with multi award-winning composer and lyricist Jerry Herman. Directing credits include the Drama Desk Award-winning New York revival of Studs Terkel’s Working, and the acclaimed New York revival of Jacques Brel Is Alive And Well… (Drama Desk, Drama League, Outer Critics Award nominations). Current writing projects include Scramble Band, an original movie for the Disney Channel, and The Single Girls Guide, a new musical updating Jane Austen’s Emma to 1964, and also adapting and directing Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn and The Secret of My Success for Universal Pictures Stage Productions. Recent credits include Pirates! Or Gilbert and Sullivan Plunder’d (created with Nell Benjamin), the Disney Fantasy Christening (with Neil Patrick Harris & Jerry Seinfeld), and Happy Days, a new musical (first US tour).
Choreographer Carlos Acosta trained at the National Ballet School of Cuba, and has danced as a principal with English National Ballet, National Ballet of Cuba and Houston Ballet. He is a Principal Guest Artist with The Royal Ballet and appears worldwide with companies including ABT, Paris Opera Ballet, Kirov, Bolshoi and Australian Ballet, and has created roles in contemporary ballets both with The Royal Ballet and internationally. Acosta was instrumental in taking The Royal Ballet on tour to Havana, and starred in the Company’s performances of Romeo and Juliet at The O2 Arena dancing Romeo opposite Tamara Rojo as Juliet. He has staged several shows across Europe featuring both classical and contemporary repertory, including his own choreography and the work of choreographers from his native Cuba. Shows for Sadler’s Wells include the semi-autobiographical Tocororo and Carlos Acosta with Guests from The Royal Ballet for which he won the Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance for his performances. He recently staged a new production, Classical Selections, at the Coliseum, and produced and choreographed a new production of Don Quixote for the Royal Ballet. Screen credits as an actor include the feature films New York, I Love You and Day of the Flowers.
The music and lyrics are by Frank Loesser, whose credits include How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying and the song ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’. The book is by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. Burrows’ credits include How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying and Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Swerling’s credits include the seminal film It’s A Wonderful Life.
Based on a story and characters by Damon Runyon
Music and Lyrics: Frank Loesser
Book: Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows
Director: Gordon Greenberg
Designer: Peter McKintosh
Choreography: Carlos Acosta and Andrew Wright
Musical Supervisor, Musical Director and Dance Arrangements: Gareth Valentine
Orchestrator: Larry Blank
Lighting Designer: Tim Mitchell
Sound Designer: Paul Groothuis
Casting Director: Pippa Ailion
The Chichester Festival Theatre production of Guys and Dolls is produced by Tristan Baker and Charlie Parsons for Runaway Entertainment, Oliver Royds for BOS Productions, Richard Darbourne Ltd and Tulchin Bartner Productions.
SAVOY THEATRE
THE STRAND
LONDON WC2R OEJ
GUYS AND DOLLS
10 DECEMBER 2015 – 12 MARCH 2016
Performance Times:
Monday – Saturday at 7.30pm
Matinees Tuesday and Saturday at 2.30pm
Ticket prices: From £25.00
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