A joyous and vibrant celebration of prohibition-era New York comes to Milton Keynes Theatre from Tuesday (June 14) with an enthusiastic showing of the West End hit Guys and Dolls.
The show premiered on Broadway back in 1950 and captured the optimism and energy of post-World War Two America.
It's based on the colourful stories from American journalist Damon Runyon, well known for his vivid fictional depictions of the gamblers, hustlers and nightclub singers of New York.
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, whose patience is finally running out. Enter notorious gambler Sky Masterson, a guy who can never turn down a bet, and straight-faced 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?
Cast-wise, it's a cracker; With Maxwell Caulfield in the role of Nathan. Maxwell was a star of 80s Dynasty spin off The Colbys, and just as famous for his lead role in Grease 2 (opposite Michelle Pfeiffer) as he is for his appearances in the UK in prime time soap Emmerdale and drama Casualty.
He has plenty of stage form too, of course, and was last on the MK stage in Singin' in the Rain.
Joining him is ex-Corrie hit Richard Fleeshman who made his name on the Weatherfield cobbles before striking out with a solo music career (some of you night have seen him on stage at The Stables) before finding success as a stage actor with starring roles in Ghost the Musical, Legally Blonder and A Damsel in Distress.
Local lady Louise Dearman is Miss Adelaine. Louise is famously the first actor to play both lead roles in Wicked – Her work as both Elphaba and Glinda met huge critical acclaim.
She has various other stage work tidily tucked away (including Kiss Me Kate, The Water Babies, Grease and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat) and has three albums to her name too.
Sarah Brown is played by Ann O'Byrne, who starred in the Australian version of Love Never Dies, which did the business at cinemas internationally.
Take a ticket for a superb show littered with Broadway musical moments like My Time of Day, Luck Be A Lady and Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat.
Performances carry through to Saturday (June 18) and you book tickets by calling 0844 871 7652 or visiting www.atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes
