Appearing areas rise out of the ground whereas spangled lights descend from above, declaring places from The Scorching Field nightclub to Lindy’s diner.
The story of veteran avenue hustler Nathan Detroit (Daniel Mays) who organises unlawful crap (aka cube) video games is parlayed in Runyon’s vivid dialogue, and Frank Loesser’s songs that are so memorable you begin singing them in your head earlier than the solid has even opened their mouths.
When ace gambler Sky Masterson (Andrew Richardson) involves city, Nathan locations a guess he’s assured to win, although not fairly in the way in which he anticipates. Romance beckons between lone wolf Sky and buttoned-up Save-A-Soul sister Sarah Brown (Celinde Schoenmaker).
Runyon’s cocktail of elaborately formal language and gangster slang is delivered to the style born and it’s refreshing to see roles elevated past cliché. Marisha Wallace specifically brings contemporary perception into Miss Adelaide, Nathan’s everlasting fiancée, notably in her rendition of Adelaide’s Lament.
The showstopper is in fact Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ The Boat which Cedric Neal delivers with sufficient swing to capsize the theatre as the complete firm sways to Dame Arlene Phillips’s vibrant choreography.
Richardson might use a bit of extra swagger as Sky – at current, his conversion shouldn’t be a lot from snake-eyed gambler to altruistic romantic as from good man to even higher man.
Nevertheless, Hytner’s triumph is to deliver contemporary eyes to a well-recognized story whereas remaining true to the temper and milieu of the story and conveying Runyon’s exaggerated cartoon characters as flesh and blood human beings.
Infectiously entertaining.
Bridge Theatre till September 2. Tickets: 0333 320 0051
