AFTER 24 years, the Innerleithen and District Amateur Operatic Society have returned to the mean streets of 1950s New York with the production of Guys and Dolls. 

After weeks of preparation and dress rehearsals, the show opened in the Memorial Hall on Monday night to a polished performance from the cast, crew and orchestra.

The curtain rose at 7.30pm and the audience were instantly transported both across the pond and back in time for the high-stakes musical.

The cast, headed up by Colin Tweedie (Sky), Stephanie Porter (Sarah), Claire Bell (Miss Adelaide) and Stewart Wilson (Nathan Detroit) gave an enthusiastic performance as the main characters, and made the often tricky New Yorker accent seem effortless throughout the show while hitting those all-important high notes in the musical numbers.

The actors brought their characters to life with their own flair, especially the cheeky but likeable high stakes gambler Sky Masterson and compulsive liar Nathan Detroit.

The ditzy Miss Adelaide put her best foot forward with a range of songs and dances, while embracing the challenges of a long suffering 14-year engagement to Nathan (and a very long cold), plus the no-nonsense Sarah Brown meant businesses with her attempts to clean up the streets and cleanse the souls of the sinners, but sharply lost her grip after getting swept off her feet by the charming Mr Masterson.

As the ensemble erupted into a song and dance throughout, the audience enjoyed several slick toe tapping numbers, with Guys and Dolls, Havanna, Luck be a Lady, and Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat, with a range of well choreographed dances from the hotbox girls, the crapshooters and the street characters.

Despite the various challenges with any production, the entire team should be commended for their excellent efforts, from the talented orchestra providing an authentic 1950s musical backdrop, to the seamless set changes and glitzy costumes from the team behind the scenes.

There are several more shows before the curtain comes down at the Innerleithen Memorial Hall – taking place on Friday night, Saturday afternoon and Saturday night.

Tickets can be purchased at the door or online. Visit: www.idaos.org.uk for more information.

Cast List

  • Nicely-Nicely Johnson - David Paterson
  • Benny Southstreet - Douglas Russell
  • Rusty Charlie - Roger Brydon
  • Sarah Brown - Stephanie Porter
  • Arvide Abernathy - John Armstrong
  • Harry the Horse - Billy Rooney
  • Lt. Brannigan - David Brown
  • Nathan Detroit - Stewart Wilson
  • Miss Adelaide - Claire Bell
  • Sky Masterson - Colin Tweedie
  • Mimi - Anne McKinnon
  • Joey Biltmore - Tom Mills
  • General Matilda B. Cartwright - Karen Wilson
  • Big Julie - Jim Waddell
  • The save-a-soul mission - Kristeen Gilmore, Norma Henry, Pamela Millan, Ella Muir, Ross McGinn
  • The Hotbox Dolls - Rachael Campbell, Rachel Cox, Julia Dietze, Ellie Hope, Jade Hutchison, Rhona O’Donnell and Ophelie Volle
  • Tourists, Street Characters, Waiters and Cubans - Angela Barber, Anne Brownlee, Thomas Brydon, Brian Dean, Pam Fraser, Wilma Knox, Ewan Little, Jamie McCubbin, Alex Paterson, Fraser Porter, Jennifer Russell, Merijn Schepens, Ged Smith, Kathy Smith, Kathy Webber, Pauline Whitehead, Leanne Young.

Orchestra

  • Conductor - John Howden
  • Violins - Jane Greig (Leader), Dorothy Coe, Moria Landells and Susan Matatsovska
  • Cello - Sam Coe
  • Bass - Fiona Donaldson
  • Reeds - Bill Blackwood, Kenneth Thompson and Nadine Thompson
  • Trumpets - Euan Meikle, Sylvia Smail and Callum Robb
  • Trombone - Peter Horsfall
  • Percussion - Ben Montgomery
  • Keyboard - Clare Dempster

Backstage

  • Stage Manager - Kathryn Lees
  • Asst. Stage Manager - Dugall Barber
  • Properties - Angela Pichlmayer
  • Stage Crew - Darren Barber, Morgan Barber, Charlie Bell, Lizzie Bell, Robbie Bell, Elma Belleville, Jan McGlasson, Bert Pichlmayer, Greg Small, Nicola Watt, Christopher Wilson, Claire Wilson, Robert Wilson and James Wright
  • Lighting - Stephen Cox
  • Lighting Designed By - Kenneth Boak
  • Follow Spots - Dennis Belleville, Allan Graham
  • Sound - Grahame Jones, John Small
  • Sound Effects - Colin Turnbull
  • Calls - Anya Wilson
  • Make-up - Adrianne Robb, Aileen Borthwick, Pamela Graham, Anne Giegerich, Lizzie Bell
  • Additional Scenery - Colin Watt, Gary Millie