{"id":2100,"date":"2025-11-26T14:04:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-26T14:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thebigbluehouse.org\/site\/?p=2100"},"modified":"2026-01-04T14:13:26","modified_gmt":"2026-01-04T14:13:26","slug":"guys-and-dolls-noda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thebigbluehouse.org\/site\/guys-and-dolls-noda\/","title":{"rendered":"Guys and Dolls – NODA"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Site<\/strong><\/td>NODA<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Date<\/th>26th November 2025<\/td><\/tr>
Society<\/th>Petersfield Theatre Group<\/td><\/tr>
Venue<\/th>Festival Hall, Petersfield<\/td><\/tr>
Type of Production<\/th>Musical<\/td><\/tr>
Director<\/th>Mary-Rose Finden<\/td><\/tr>
Musical Director<\/th>Andrew Hadfield-Scoates<\/td><\/tr>
Choreographer<\/th>Emily McCubbin<\/td><\/tr>
Reviewer<\/strong><\/td>NODA<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For us \u2018older\u2019 people it\u2019s always a pleasure to see one of our favourites from days gone by being revived, and Guys and Dolls<\/strong> definitely falls into that category having premiered on Broadway back in 1950. Based on Damon Runyon\u2019s short stories, it is full of great music and songs, with a humorous storyline, so what\u2019s not to love? Better still, we were welcomed into the foyer of the Festival Hall by a real Salvation Army band, creating a wonderful atmosphere and getting the evening off to a great start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The set design (Jeanette Simpson and Andy Tubbs) was top quality. It sensibly left the stage clear for the large cast \u2013 just a few pieces of furniture and the news stand brought on by cast and crew, with a projected New York skyline and the orchestra at the back of the stage separated by a gauze. Illuminated signs (which lit up according to the scene) decorated the sides of the proscenium arch, with the Hot Box banner across the top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The back of the stage seems to be the best place for an orchestra in this venue, allowing a good balance to be achieved between the instruments and the singers. \u00a0The fourteen-piece band produced a wonderfully brassy sound under MD Andrew Hadfield-Scoates\u2019 baton, and <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

sound man Tom Davison managed to mix it well with the voices so that we heard every word.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Big shout out to Sarah Dove, Patricia Buttery and their wardrobe team for sourcing such a huge array of colourful and interesting costumes \u2013 every single one looking exactly right for the show. All enhanced of course by Ian Pratt\u2019s equally colourful and moody lighting design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The overture leading into Fugue for Tinhorns was a sight to behold There was so much going on, you would need to see the show several times to appreciate it all. A masterpiece of direction and choreography! Adam Brombley and Grace Moritz made a great couple as Sky and Sarah \u2013 their melodic voices blending perfectly in their duets and his relaxed, in-control attitude contrasting nicely with her up-tight, fretful character. Simon Stanley\u2019s Nathan Detroit was spot-on: a very believable wheeler-dealer and the ultimate reluctant bridegroom. Again, he was matched perfectly by Hannah Evans\u2019 Miss Adelaide. She made her so much more than a ditzy dancer. The real emotion shown in her songs made her a much more three-dimensional character than we usually see, and each was so well sung.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nathan\u2019s sidekicks Benny Southstreet and Nicely Nicely Johnson were well played by Mark Davies and Jordan Vince, who gave them real character and charm. Jordan\u2019s rendition of \u201cSit down you\u2019re rocking the boat\u201d was a real showstopper, well deserving of the applause it received. Casting Lucy Summers as Big Jule was inspired. She milked the comedy of her height difference (against Hannah Latimer as Harry the Horse, and Sky) for all it was worth! Dennis Brombley was exactly right as Arvide \u2013 the kindly, sensible adviser to Sarah and his song \u201cMore I Cannot Wish You\u201d really tugged at the heart-strings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Singing standards throughout, by chorus and soloists, were excellent, with some gorgeous harmonies. Dancing too was first class with the big numbers like \u201cHavana\u201d and \u201cThe Crapshooters\u2019 Dance\u201d absolutely spectacular. Emily McCubbin\u2019s imaginative choreography was executed very precisely, despite the huge cast that was on stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Director Mary-Rose Finden, you and your cast and creatives have given us a really stylish and exuberant production of this old favourite. It\u2019s wonderful to go home feeling really lifted by a show and judging by the reactions of the near-capacity first night audience on the way out, we all felt exactly the same. Well done everyone!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sound man Tom Davison managed to mix it well with the voices so that we heard every word.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2101,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[433,432],"tags":[438,435,436,437,434],"class_list":["post-2100","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-showreviews","category-theatre","tag-musical","tag-review","tag-show","tag-sound","tag-theatre"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebigbluehouse.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/PTG-Website-Squares-1-min.png?fit=600%2C375&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2jmMR-xS","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2134,"url":"https:\/\/www.thebigbluehouse.org\/site\/singing-in-the-rain-jr-noda\/","url_meta":{"origin":2100,"position":0},"title":"Singing in the Rain Jr – NODA","author":"Tom Davison","date":"20 February, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Soloists and chorus alike produced a beautiful sound and, with head mics and Tom Davison on the sound desk, we heard every word.","rel":"","context":"In "Show Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Show Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.thebigbluehouse.org\/site\/category\/theatre\/showreviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Singing in the rain Jr - SAIL Youth Theatre - Poster","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebigbluehouse.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/641361526_122201691284545721_4835963153273824605_n.jpg?fit=720%2C429&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebigbluehouse.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/641361526_122201691284545721_4835963153273824605_n.jpg?fit=720%2C429&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebigbluehouse.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/641361526_122201691284545721_4835963153273824605_n.jpg?fit=720%2C429&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebigbluehouse.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/641361526_122201691284545721_4835963153273824605_n.jpg?fit=720%2C429&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1981,"url":"https:\/\/www.thebigbluehouse.org\/site\/i-love-you-youre-perfect-now-change-m-coates\/","url_meta":{"origin":2100,"position":1},"title":"I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change – M Coates","author":"Tom Davison","date":"27 November, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Tom Davison\u2019s perfectly balanced sound and SFX offered a professional edge.","rel":"","context":"In "Show Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Show Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.thebigbluehouse.org\/site\/category\/theatre\/showreviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"I love You Youre Perfect Now Change Banner","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebigbluehouse.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/IloveYouYourePerfectNowChange.jpeg?fit=1186%2C574&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebigbluehouse.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/IloveYouYourePerfectNowChange.jpeg?fit=1186%2C574&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebigbluehouse.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/IloveYouYourePerfectNowChange.jpeg?fit=1186%2C574&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebigbluehouse.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/IloveYouYourePerfectNowChange.jpeg?fit=1186%2C574&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thebigbluehouse.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/IloveYouYourePerfectNowChange.jpeg?fit=1186%2C574&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2036,"url":"https:\/\/www.thebigbluehouse.org\/site\/if-we-only-had-noda\/","url_meta":{"origin":2100,"position":2},"title":"If We Only Had… – NODA","author":"Tom Davison","date":"29 June, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Sound too was perfect, as we\u2019ve come to expect from Tom Davison of Trained Ears. 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