Guys and Dolls - Bridge Theatre

[mcgoo]

thanks for the replies. i will scan this thread and look towards the recommended gallery 1. Price being a concern. But partner wants to stand, i want to sit ( and happy enough to be a little further back ) hence just curious to know whether have to 'rush' for the best place to stand for partner - appears some say away from the stage is good, so...bit towards back not really a problem then re standing.

[amybenson]

Mar 30, 2023 6:38:28 GMT mcgoo said:

Does anyone have first hand experience of attending the Bridge Theatre Guys & Dolls - which looks fantastic. The standing option appeals although I would love to know whether it's a case of getting close as possible to the stage when standing - or - it doesnt really matter as much wherey you stand?

And as for seating. Looking at the seating plan, some seats 'higher' but restrictive but more 'leg room' North/South/East/West with seemingly less seats North and South. Any thoughts from those that have been there? The front row £150 a bit out of the price range.

I was standing and felt close to action at all times without any conscious effort on my part.
The only time I felt like I could have been positioned better was during Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat, which seemed to be aimed towards seating.

[BurlyBeaR]

I wonder if the attractive price of the pit tickets is luring people who really shouldn’t be contemplating standing up for 3 hours straight?

[ladidah]

I think most people wouldn't truly chose to stand for that long.

[ceebee]

3 hours is too long for me - good for the young twenty somethings with no atherosclerosis in their legs! Give me a seat any day!

[showgirl]

3 hours is too long even from a seat!

[ladidah]

Yes, I said earlier, I can't stand people moving. I end up watching them.

[zahidf]

Great performance! Had loads of fun standing.

[Deleted]

Perhaps I was expecting more because of some of the effusive praise here, but I found it to just be a very nicely done production. Nothing wrong with that at all, but I wouldn't suggest it is a must see or that people need to pay an exorbitant ticket price to catch it, particularly if you've previously seen a quality staging.

[drmaplewood]

Many people tried their luck with the rush? Am hoping to go on Thursday afternoon.

[Mark]

Apr 3, 2023 13:12:36 GMT drmaplewood said:

Many people tried their luck with the rush? Am hoping to go on Thursday afternoon.

Was Pit standing through rush when I did it, got it fairly easily when rush opened.

[theatrelover123]

Apr 1, 2023 21:58:06 GMT @stevea said:

Perhaps I was expecting more because of some of the effusive praise here, but I found it to just be a very nicely done production. Nothing wrong with that at all, but I wouldn't suggest it is a must see or that people need to pay an exorbitant ticket price to catch it, particularly if you've previously seen a quality staging.

Yes! My thoughts exactly!

[jkcohen626]

Saw this on Thursday and had a great time! The cast is great and it's well-directed. I will go see anything Bunny Christie designs and she definitely did not disappoint here. 

However, I would say that there wasn't really a unique vision beyond "Guys and Dolls, but it's immersive/in-the-round." Revivals like Cabaret or Oklahoma (as originally staged) had clear unique directorial vision that was heightened by the immersive/in-the-round elements.

[capybara]

Any information out there on cast holidays, etc?

[bordeaux]

Now booking till February 2024... I hope they're making lots of money. I assume they need it after Covid and those new plays rarely sell out...

[craig]

Got a Rush ticket yesterday, but it was standing so I went with Oklahoma instead. I'll be needing a seat at my age!

[apubleed]

I wonder how much capacity they have in the theatre including standing room with this configuration.

[theatrenerd]

Glad that this is extending as I was hoping to book this soon! Has it been confirmed if the same cast will be staying on?

[Being Alive]

I read they were originally contracted til July but I imagine that'll change

[matildaswinton]

Saw this last Monday. I adored this production and I think it deserves all the success it is finding.

There a few things I thought didn’t work in it’s favor. The staging in Act One took me a long time to get used to. I was distracted seeing the “police” move the crowd every time a new section of stage was about to go up. And Act One especially was like a constant change… reminded me of videos of The Lord of the Rings musical… up and down, up and down… I think there are shorter scenes in the first half. This did not bother me in the second half. The scenes are longer and more of the stage was just a rectangle in the middle.

Furthermore, because the show is in the round, there is a lot of light that bleeds out behind the action onto the (sometimes) goofy and fidgety audience below. I needed more of a hard perimeter of light to help focus on the action… I guess because of the complicated nature of lighting this piece it’s a hard thing to accomplish. Maybe it’s a safety issue as well. The person I came with was angrily focused on a too-into-it standing audience member the whole time. I couldn’t help but watch an entire drama unfold on the standing room floor between an ungrateful university student complaining to her parents about having to stand. It was maddening.

The last thing… for me personally, there is a “more is more” feeling with some of the blocking and set. The lyrics to these songs are so good… why must we be constantly walking around and changing positions or stirring coffees and doing “stage business” in the cafe or the barber shop … just communicate the lyric. Generally I kept thinking, “Why do we need six tables at the club? Why do we need four fully dressed tables at the restaurant (with full condiment sets)? Why do we need three barber chairs? Too much stuff for me, and everything is passed up to the stage by the police…. Again, Act Two was simpler. The most effective scenes for me were in Act One were the scenes in the mission (I’ll Know felt like the piece could finally slow down and breathe) or Adelaide’s solo, where we could just focus.

Now besides those super specific gripes, let me say this show is phenomenal. I know everyone is talking about the men, who are fantastic, but my GOODNESS, the WOMEN!! The more I think about what Marisha is doing, the more I liken it to seeing a golden age legend take the stage. She sings these songs on the edge of a knife. They sound fresh and visceral, and her crooning indulgent tone and emotional character base is a thrilling combination . She is a total star, and I am a huge fan now. I don’t miss the old Adelaide characterizations one bit. This woman is a real person and she sings like the songs were written in her heart.

Celinde… holy cow. What an arc we see from Sarah. Her and Sky’s journey was the through-line of the show for me. Her vocal take on the role starts with the character just being in the moment, and again it is thrilling because of the technique and tools she has at her disposal. Sarah’s big vocal leaps are like a revelation of her character… she contains multitudes of possibility within her, and we see so many sides of her. Again, a real person in these circumstances, swinging wildly between the life she has cultivated and the longing within.

I can’t wait to go back, and although I had my little issues I do believe this staging is a revelation. This kind of work proves how important the Arts are. We all need this work right now. It is an uplifting exuberant experience that sits deeper in you than you think possible.

Also, loved the take on Marry the Man Today!! Loved Rockin’ the Boat. The tempo allowed you to ride every vocal wave. Captivating. Cast recording would be in my ears constantly.

[confessor]

Apr 19, 2023 12:26:45 GMT apubleed said:

I wonder how much capacity they have in the theatre including standing room with this configuration.

According to the article in Musicals magazine it's 1,040 (890 seated, 420 standing).

[theatregoer22]

Disappointed to see that TodayTix has changed the Rush tickets to standing only.

[Dr Tom]

Apr 21, 2023 17:38:06 GMT theatregoer22 said:

Disappointed to see that TodayTix has changed the Rush tickets to standing only.

I’ve never seen them offer anything other than standing through Rush, so perhaps there’s just trying to manage customer expectations?

[theatregoer22]

Apr 21, 2023 17:47:43 GMT Dr Tom said:

Apr 21, 2023 17:38:06 GMT theatregoer22 said:

Disappointed to see that TodayTix has changed the Rush tickets to standing only.

I’ve never seen them offer anything other than standing through Rush, so perhaps there’s just trying to manage customer expectations?

Ah I thought I'd seen the Rush option for seated tickets, but I must have been mistaken.

[adrianics]

We made a rare trip to London to see yesterday's matinee. It's a huge shame that the programme doesn't have understudy information as we had the understudy Adelaide on, and after a nervy start she truly came out the gate for act 2. I got the impression it was her first performance in the role as she got a big hug from the actor playing Sky during the bows and was held up on the shoulders of the ensemble members during the dancing after the bows. It also struck me as a little weird that the cast board outside just didn't mention Adelaide at all.

I think the greatest compliment I can give this show is that I was expecting the "immersive experience" to be a gimmick, but take that away and this is probably the best production of Guys and Dolls I've ever seen (and I've seen dozens; it's my favourite show). So vibrant, energetic and bright with terrific interpretations of the characters. I in particular cannot give Celinde Schoenmaker as Sarah Brown enough praise; an expert portrayal of one of the great female musical theatre roles, a very nuanced and spectacular performance.

We were stood in the immersive section and had a great time; the show is so well-paced and frantic you barely notice the time passing, I actually liked the movement of the audience and the choreography of the raising platforms was spectacular. The stage crew are utter heroes in this show and I loved that they got their own bow!

All in all, such a fun experience and a fantastic production of one of the all-time greats. 5/5 for me!