Name: Guys & Dolls
Start: 2023-03-03
Location: Bridge Theatre

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43. Marisha Wallace Adelaide photo by Manuel Harlan

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Guys & Dolls

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Would luck be a lady for Nicholas Hytner? His much-hyped, immersive production of *[Guys & Dolls](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/25504-guys-and-dolls-tickets)* is set to run for six months at the [Bridge Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/the-bridge-theatre) — a significant gamble. Well, I’m delighted to report that he’s hit the jackpot with this jubilant revival, which somehow manages to be both the most exhilarating version of Frank Loesser’s musical I’ve seen, and also the most nuanced. 

That combination is thanks to an ingenious staging, building on the Bridge’s previous immersive Shakespeare productions. The audience is in the round, partly seated. The standing audience, gathered in the centre, gets thrillingly close to the action, with hydraulic platforms shooting out of the floor all over the place and neon signs descending from the ceiling.

Bunny Christie’s design basically dances more than the cast. It creates boundless staging opportunities for Hytner: whether it’s a central platform for a big Hot Box number, or a large zigzagging path across the auditorium, or several separate mini-stages acting as different locations. It matches the energy of this heightened, Damon Runyon-styled New York City, and allows for lightning-fast scene changes (occasionally the set-up for the next scene cuts into the current one, as ushers nudge the promenading audience around, but that can hopefully be ironed out over the run). 

It creates a dynamic audience experience, far removed from the previous rather tired West End outing for *Guys & Dolls*. There’s pre-show fun (you can get a rakish hat or a pretzel from a street seller), and immersive elements during the show itself: you might be handed a Save-a-Soul Mission leaflet, or a streamer to wave, or have your drink nicked by a cheeky gambler. It all climaxes with a euphoric dance party, with cast members sticking around to boogie and take selfies with fans. It’s an inspired way to make theatre feel relevant and accessible.

But, as with the similarly thoughtful revivals of *Cabaret* and *Oklahoma!*, this isn’t just audience pandering. Thanks to the intimacy and nimbleness of this set-up, Hytner can also mine the show for psychological detail. 

*Guys & Dolls* is that rare show in which the book is the equal of the score, and this production so joyfully lands all of Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling’s zingers and larger-than-life, deliciously named characters, while also giving them dimensionality.

Crucially, it addresses the inherent misogyny. [Marisha Wallace](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/stars-on-stage/marisha-wallace)’s Adelaide is no ditzy, marriage-obsessed dupe, who eventually guilts reluctant long-time fiancé Nathan into settling down with her. Instead, this is a couple desperately, carnally in love with each other, however, it’s Nathan who has the mental block. Daniel Mays (mostly known for his screen work, but making a phenomenal musical theatre debut) emphasises how Nathan relishes his status as the ultimate fixer, always staying one step ahead of the law. What happens if he stops running? 

The pair of them bring impressive comic chops but also an inherent sadness to their big rows, especially the wonderfully absurd sequence in which Adelaide admits she’s invented a brood of children for her concerned mother (Mays’s pique that Nathan is just an assistant manager in this fiction is priceless). 

Duet “Sue Me” — often a throwaway gag — is a masterclass in acting through song, supported by the blocking: they grow more physically distanced with each bitter exchange, while still achingly emotionally attached.

Wallace also avoids the easy humorous route with “Adelaide’s Lament,” dropping the exaggerated pronunciations in favour of framing the number as a gentle confession, aimed at the audience right beside her — one friend speaking to another. But she’s just as capable of amping up her performance in the steamy Hot Box stripteases (no coyness here), in which she owns her power and sexuality. 

In contrast to these warring veterans of love are the newly met, opposites-attract pair: Celinde Schoenmaker’s robustly dedicated missionary Sarah and Andrew Richardson’s charmingly insincere gambler Sky. Again, this is framed as an equal journey, not just as a woman who needs to lighten up. 

If anything, the exquisitely clarion-voiced Schoenmaker is the driving force: in “If I Were a Bell” she seems as drunk on life as on rum, tearing open Sky’s shirt and, following some Gene Kelly lamppost swinging, falling into his arms and swimming through the air. When they meet in song, their harmonies intertwine like a warm embrace. 

The boyish Richardson, a smouldering, Clive Owen-esque presence, actually feels like the lost one of the pair. This mainly works nicely, although both performance and vocals need more projection. There’s also one bewildering misstep: the introduction of a stereotypical gay club in Havana. It gets around the tired trope of a feisty Latina starting a catfight, and a bisexual Sky is a fascinating idea, but it’s never actually developed.

I also would have liked more explosive choreography here (the Cuban sequence begins with dancers scattered in the crowd — less impactful at a distance), but Arlene Phillips and James Cousins’s grounded, organic movement is otherwise invigorating, and the visible band gives us a glorious version of Loesser’s peerless score. Plus there are numerous scene-stealing supporting turns: Cedric Neal’s Nicely-Nicely, lending gospel fervour to “Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat”; Mark Oxtoby’s fast-talking Benny; the perfect sight gag of Cameron Johnson’s giant Big Jule.

Most joyfully, the happy ending feels earned. Wallace and Schoenmaker’s “Marry the Man Today” isn’t an expression of dubious making-do, but a dawning realisation — by two shrewd women knocking back shots together; fabulous — that there’s nothing certain about life or love: “You’ve simply gotta gamble”. And when it pays off, as Hytner proves, the rewards are boundless. 

*Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre through 2 September. Book Guys & Dolls tickets on London Theatre.*

[![Book Tickets CTA - LT/NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/3qAtGOdQq9x3k1WcHlaJnw/90ece91bbe47ed07e142c2e43c7a7a3f/BookTickets-250.png)](https://ticket.londontheatre.co.uk/booking/calendar?product_id=25504&content_product_id=25504&venue_id=76)

*Photo credit: The cast of Guys & Dolls (Photo by Manuel Harlan)*

'Guys & Dolls' review – Nicholas Hytner hits the jackpot with this exhilarating immersive revival

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Read our five-star review of *Guys & Dolls* starring Marisha Wallace at the Bridge Theatre, currently playing through 2 September. Get *Guys & Dolls* tickets on London Theatre.

Nicholas Hytner and Nick Starr spearhead the Bridge Theatre. Having worked together at the [National Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/national-theatre) for over a decade as artistic and executive directors, Hytner and Starr formed the London Theatre Company as part of their efforts to open the largest Off-West End commercial theatre. The 900-seater auditorium is very adaptable and allows shows to be presented in end-on, thrust and promenade formats. 

Production aside, the theatre was praised for its abundance of ladies toilets and its on-site kitchen which, among other things, provides treats freshly baked on site during the interval. 

In 2017, the theatre's inaugural season included a new Richard Bean play *Young Marx*, starring [Rory Kinnear](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/actor-profile/rory-kinnear) and Oliver Chris, *Julius Caesar* starring Ben [Whishaw](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/actor-profile/ben-whishaw) and David Calder, and a new play by Nina Raine about the life of JS Bach starring [Simon Russell Beale](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/actor-profile/simon-russell-beale).

Notable plays at the Bridge Theatre include *The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,* as well as *My Name is Lucy Barton* and *Straight Line Crazy* — the latter two both transferring to New York.

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Born in North Carolina, USA, Marisha Wallace is an Olivier-nominated actress who has appeared in many West End and Broadway productions. 

Growing up, Wallace was often singing to large crowds. Whether it was at school or at church mass, everyone who listened to Wallace fell in love with her voice. After high school, Wallace eventually went on to graduate from East Carolina University with a degree in musical theatre and theatre education.

Wallace’s professional theatre debut was as Ado Annie in a regional production of *Oklahoma!*. For her performance, she won a Drammy Award for Best Actress in a Musical, which celebrated theatre in the Oregon area. Following this, Wallace was then cast in the US tour of *[The Book of Mormon](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/the-book-of-mormon)*, alongside original London cast members Gavin Creel and Jared Gertner.

In 2014, Wallace made her Broadway debut in the original company of Disney’s *Aladdin*. She played the Fortune Teller in the Broadway production. A year later, Wallace then joined the original company of *Something Rotten!* as an ensemble member.

Her London debut would come in 2017, cast as the alternate Effie White in *[Dreamgirls](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/dreamgirls)* at the [Savoy Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/savoy-theatre). However, once Amber Riley left the production, Wallace was bumped up to playing Effie White fulltime, sharing the role with Karen Mav and Moya Angela.

Wallace has continued her theatre career on this side of the pond. She originated the role of Becky in the West End production of *[Waitress](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/waitress)* at the [Adelphi Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/adelphi-theatre), starring alongside [Katharine McPhee](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/actor-profile/katharine-mcphee). After she left *Waitress*, Wallace's solo musical career took off, and she’s now sung at the [Royal Albert Hall](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/royal-albert-hall) and on the Royal Variety Performance.

Wallace played [London Coliseum](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/london-coliseum) as Motormouth Maybelle in *[Hairspray](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/hairspray)*, alongside [Michael Ball](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/actor-profile/michael-ball) as Edna Turnblad. The *Hairspray* [review in London Theatre raved of](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/reviews/review-hairspray-starring-michael-ball-at-the-london-coliseum) “the knockout performance comes from Marisha Wallace as Motormouth Maybelle, whose “I Know Where I’ve Been” begins as an intimate, bluesy number, sung to her children, and builds to a great cry, testifying about her experiences and beseeching the heavens for progress.” 

Following *Hairspray*, Wallace played Ado Annie in *Oklahoma!* at the Young Vic, receiving an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical.

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Born in North Carolina, USA, Marisha Wallace is a West End rising star who has appeared in many West End and Broadway productions.

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Luck be a lady tonight! Be swept up with the thrills of Manhattan and Havana all in one night. *Guys and Dolls* tickets are available on London Theatre now.

__[This is for *Guys and Dolls* seated tickets. Book *Guys and Dolls* standing and stage tickets here.](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/27637-guys-and-dolls-standing-and-stage-area)__

Don’t expect a traditional *Guys & Dolls* at the Bridge Theatre. Expect to be thrown into all the action: join all the characters as they walk the New York streets, sip a cocktail at the Cuban bars, and take a trip to the Salvation Army. The Bridge Theatre comes alive with this sensational retelling, with London Theatre hailing it “the jackpot of musical revivals.”

When booking *Guys & Dolls* tickets, you can choose to watch the action unfold in seated sections or in the pit.

Did you know the *Guys & Dolls* is based on short stories? Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows adapted Damon Runyon’s gangster tale “Blood Pressure”, and triumphant love story “The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown”. Plus, there’s a jazzy score, with songs including: “Luck Be a Lady, “Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat,” “A Bushel and a Peck,” and “Adelaide’s Lament.” 

### What is *Guys & Dolls* about?

The *Guys and Dolls* musical follows Nathan Detroit, a Manhattan gambler who needs to find a new location for his crap shooting games, pronto. He’s helped by Sky Masterson, who takes a chance on Nathan, settling their deal on a bet: Nathan bets Sky that he can’t take a woman of his choosing on a date. But as they meet their “doll,” Sarah Brown, the odds of falling in love go down until it’s almost inevitable.

Tickets to *Guys and Dolls* are available now. Book your *Guys and Dolls* tickets on London Theatre today.

Guys & Dolls [SEATED] - LON - London Theatre

Guys & Dolls Tickets | London Theatre

Sit down, you're rocking the boat! Be taken to the streets of Manhattan and the Havana bars all in one night. Nicholas Hytner directs an immersive, all-encompassing Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre, a musical first for the venue. Marisha Wallace, Daniel Mays, and Celinde Schoenmaker star. Get *Guys & Dolls* tickets on London Theatre today.

Broadway’s glossiest love story comes to life in spectacular fashion at *Guys & Dolls.* In this adaptation, the story will take place across the entire auditorium. Audiences can imagine they're walking the streets of Manhattan and sipping on a drink in the bars of Havana all in one night. 

London Theatre hailed that the revival "a jackpot... it manages to be both the most exhilarating version of Frank Loesser’s musical, and also the most nuanced." Hear all the classics like “A Bushel and a Peck,” “Luck be a Lady,” and Miss Adelaide’s song, “Adelaide’s Lament" with refreshing vigour. An all-star cast lead this energetic *Guys & Dolls* in London: Daniel Mays, Marisha Wallace, Celinde Schoenmaker, and Cedric Neal take part. 

## What to Watch For: 

- Did you know that *Guys & Dolls* is based on short stories? Damon Runyon’s works inspired the *Guys & Dolls* musical, notably two tales: “Blood Pressure” and “The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown.” Sarah Brown is a Save-A-Soul Sergeant who unexpectedly falls in love with Sky Masterson. 
- If you’re seeing *Guys & Dolls* in London, then get ready to step into the musical. *Guys & Dolls* at the Bridge Theatre will be an immersive production. Choose to sit in the tiered seating, or book a standing ticket in the pit. Don’t worry, you won’t be rocking the boat.
- *Guys & Dolls* won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama. However, he didn't receive the prize: Abe Burrows's suspected Communist sympathies by the House of Un-American Activities Committee meant the decision was vetoed. Nobody won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama that year.

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Luck be a show tonight! Starring Marisha Wallace and Celinde Schoenmaker, book your tickets to see this vibrant tale of gamblers, showgirls, and unlikely romances in 1950s New York City. Frank Loesser's sweeping score continues to delight audiences over seventy years later.

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Buy tickets for Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre in London. Find official theatre tickets to Musicals with Box Office.

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*Content warning: This review discusses suicide and mental health.*

When this intimate and innovative revival of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic premiered in New York, many, including the cast, dubbed the show “Sexy *Oklahoma*.” The hashtag #thisoklahomafucks permeated social media, as director Daniel Fish’s production showcases the darker, seductive elements of the story about the divisions in a local community on the brink of the titular territory’s statehood. 

Well, as someone who saw that production off Broadway at St. Ann’s Warehouse, on Broadway three times, and for the first time at the [Young Vic](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/young-vic) last night, I’m here to tell you, this *Oklahoma* still fucks. 

Fish, co-directing with Jordan Fein here, replicates his Tony-winning revival, complete with Laura Jellinek and Grace Laubacher’s wood-panelled set and Terese Wadden’s contemporary-yet-period-appropriate colourful costumes. Scott Zielinski’s lighting and Joshua Thorson’s projections create the eerie moodiness of the production. 

The genius of Fish’s concept for the revival is in the role reversal of the two male leads: Jud and Curly. You know, the farmer and the cowman who can’t be friends because they both want to be with the same woman. Traditionally, Curly is the strapping hero who wins the girl, while Jud is the conniving farm hand. However, without changing a word of the text, Fish highlights just how wrong we’ve been about these characters.

Fish stages the iconic smokehouse scene, where Curly confronts Jud about who is going to bring Laurey the box social, in pitch black, with video projections of Jud’s reactions throughout, as Curly bullies Jud and tries to convince him to kill himself. Underlying this interaction and throughout Curly and Jud’s feud is a level of homo-eroticism, as the actors share the same microphone and perform “Poor Jud Is Dead” as an emotional duet, their faces centimetres apart.

And London audiences, you are in for a real treat because Patrick Vaill is making his UK stage debut, after originating the role of Jud in this production from Bard College where he was a student all the way to Broadway. His emotional depth as the misunderstood Jud has only gotten deeper and more nuanced with time, and the result is utterly heart shattering. 

If you’re lucky enough to be sitting on the side of the theatre, which is situated in a thrust semi-circle with the cast in folding chairs around the edge, you’ll get to watch Vaill react as Jud throughout. He’s never out of character, sitting there shifting and smouldering. It’s a truly immaculate character study

The bumbling and delightful James Davis also crossed the pond to play Will Parker again, but the rest of the cast is new. Anoushka Lucas is stoic and alluring as Laurey, a perfect foil for the swirl of male energy around her, establishing Laurey as more than just a typical ingenue but instead as a complex woman with agency. 

Arthur Darvill puts an Elvis Presley spin on Curly, and rather than go for broad strokes bully, he’s more calculated. He’s the rock star who gets the girl, leaving no prisoners in his path. Liza Sadovy as Aunt Eller and Stavros Demetraki as Ali Hakim also bring impressive grit and humour to the company. 

As Ado Annie, Marisha Wallace gives an entirely fresh take, complete with full-power vocals. Her rendition of “I Can’t Say No” becomes a feminist anthem about a woman’s desire, and as she struts around the stage, embracing her power, she proves that Annie is the temptress and Will and Ali are just lucky to be there. 

It seems like a cliché to say that this show couldn’t be more timely, but unfortunately, its relevance just keeps getting, well, more relevant. As a story about a divided territory with classes at odds, struggling to find common ground to become a unified state, the parallels with our divided world are painfully clear. 

Whether it’s abortion legistature in the United States Supreme Court, the war in Ukraine, or British politics and the recent UK elections, people have been fighting over laws, land, and perspectives since the beginning of time. 

If only territory folks would stick together. 

*[Oklahoma! is at the Young Vic to 25 June.](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/24339-oklahoma)*

*Photo credit: Patrick Vaill in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! at the Young Vic (Photo by Marc Brenner)*

'Oklahoma!' at the Young Vic review — Rodgers and Hammerstein has never been so sexy

The Young Vic opened on 11 Sept. 1970, and was the first residence of the [National Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/national-theatre) under Laurence Olivier. The Young Vic was conceived as a theatre to stage high-quality productions at affordable prices. The theatre was rebuilt from 2004 - 2006, with the Young Vic co-producing 22 shows over 22 months with 20 international companies. Now, the Young Vic features a main house, as well as two studios: Maria and Clare. 

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Young Vic (Main House)

[Poster] Waitress 13105

<a href="/show/waitress">Waitress</a> opened on Broadway in the same 2015/16 season as <a href="/show/hamilton">Hamilton</a> - so, hardly surprisingly, lost out in the Tony Awards race, including for best musical and best original score. Yet, nearly three years on from its premiere there, it is still running - a block away from Hamilton (and the only shows from that season still be doing so). It has obviously struck a chord with theatregoers - and now it has come to London (with an international roll-out still to follow in Australia and Japan). It is in an altogether lower-key, folk-rock register to Hamilton's blast of hip-hop energy, and an absolutely lovely contrast to it. There is, or at least should be, room for both. Again, while <a href="/show/hamilton">Hamilton</a> takes bold steps while re-telling a giant chapter in the birth of the American nation and the constitutional papers that are its bedrock, <a href="/show/waitress">Waitress</a> is more domestically-scaled - and all the more heartfelt and personal for it.Here is an intimate everyday story of the power of workplace friendships and the joys of pie-baking - but not, as you might fear, full of sugar but also containing quite a lot of spice. There are real notes of anguish and entrapment felt as we follow the experiences of a diner waitress called Jenna, who can bake multiple varieties of pies -&nbsp;but also finds herself unexpectedly with a bun in the oven.So far, so familiar; especially if you've seen the 2007 film of the same name, originally written and directed by the late Adrienne Shelly. But what the all-female writing and lead creative team have done here is to add texture and tension through a series of gorgeous songs by folk-pop writer Sara Bareilles, making her musical theatre debut, that pulse with melody and feeling, and tender comedy notes expertly channelled by book writer Jessie Nelson.Under the guiding eyes of director Diane Paulus and choreographer Lorin Latarro, this story about a woman's life, told entirely from her point of view, is beautifully championed - and gets a sterling boost from American import Katharine McPhee, reprising the role of Jenna that she has also performed on Broadway, who has an effortlessly natural acting style and an alternately soaring and throbbing singing voice, not least in the show's Act Two power ballad "She Used to Be Mine".She is ideally partnered by Marisha Wallace and Laura Baldwin as her two work colleagues, each of&nbsp;whom get their own songs to shine in;&nbsp;and while all the male roles are, unusually for a musical, supporting ones, there are characterful contributions from David Hunter as Jenna's gynaecologist who takes more than a passing professional interest in her, Peter Hannah as her abusive husband and Shaun Prendergast as the fatherly owner of the diner.This is a small show with a big heart; it may have been better served by a more intimate house than the <a href="/theatres/adelphi-theatre">Adelphi</a>&nbsp;for its London debut, but I loved it.<a href="/show/waitress">Waitress</a> is booking at the <a href="/theatres/adelphi-theatre">Adelphi Theatre</a> until 19th October.<a href="/show/waitress">Waitress tickets</a> are available now.&nbsp;&nbsp;<div class="block block-block contextual-links-region " id="block-block-9"><div class="block-inner clearfix"><div class="block-title"><h2>WAITRESS REVIEW ROUND-UP</h2></div></div></div>"This musical took me by surprise: I expected something much less touching, gritty and moving. It has heart (not to mention pastry) to spare, and McPhee's voice has the lilt and lift to take you away from yourself." Ann Treneman, <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/treat-yourself-to-a-slice-of-five-star-pie-32hjz2rsk" target="_blank">The Times</a>, ★★★★★"There are moments of discomfort but it says a lot for the fast sass and wonderful take-it-or-leave it silliness and the occasional sugar-free sequences in Jessie Nelson's deft book that the spot-on cast in Diane Paulus's production mostly manage to give these elisions an elating good humour and humanity.&nbsp; " Paul Taylor, <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/reviews/waitress-adelphi-theatre-london-review-a8811911.html" target="_blank">Independent</a>, ★★★★☆"McPhee gives a beautifully weary performance, setting the tone for a mostly British cast that treats the serious bits seriously and goes balls-to-the-wall on the daft stuff." Andrzej Lukowski, <a href="https://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/waitress-review" target="_blank">Time Out</a>, ★★★☆☆"Initially, the show struck me as raucous and improbable... But I found myself warming to Jessie Nelson's book and to the vigour of the songs." Michael Billington, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2019/mar/07/waitress-review-adelphi-london-cook-fling-doctor-broadway-musical" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>,&nbsp;★★★☆☆

Review - Waitress at the Adelphi Theatre

The Adelphi Theatre that exists today is the fourth theatre on the site. The Adelphi Theatre opened in December 1930 with Lorenz Hart and Richard Rodgers' *Evergreen*. 

The Adelphi Theatre is heavily associated with musical theatre: shows include *A Little Night Music* in 1975, Cameron Mackintosh’s first production of *My Fair Lady* in 1982, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s *Sunset Boulevard*, and *Chicago* from 1997 - 2006. 

Recent shows at the Adelphi Theatre include the Olivier Award-winning production of [*Kinky Boots*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/kinky-boots), set at a Northamptonshire shoe factory where the owner taps into the world of drag to improve business. The Broadway production of [*Waitress*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/waitress) also ran at the Adelphi for two years. [*Back to the Future*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/back-to-the-future) made its West End premiere at the Adelphi Theatre in 2021.

## Adelphi Theatre Seating Information

The auditorium has three levels – Stalls, Dress Circle and Upper Circle. The raking of the seats is not particularly substantial in any part of the theatre.

In the Stalls, the overhang of the Dress Circle affects the view of the top of the stage from the seats in Row P and onwards. 

In the Dress Circle, patrons may miss action at the top and front of the stage in Row N due to the shallow rake of the seats in front and the overhang of the Upper Circle.

The Upper Circle is set fairly high in this theatre, though is not as far from the stage as in other theatres.

## Where is *Back to the Future* in London?

*Back to the Future* is at the Adelphi Theatre in London. The Adelphi Theatre is located on the Strand. It's close to West End theatres including the Savoy Theatre and the Vaudeville Theatre.

Adelphi Theatre - LON

Adelphi Theatre

Coliseum: Entry Requirements 

Hairspray Hero - LON

Hairspray quotes LON

On a night of jubilation for English football fans, there was ample cause for celebration in the West End, too. Theatre came roaring back with a bright and big-hearted musical, ecstatically received by the <a href="https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/london-coliseum">London Coliseum</a> audience.As star <a href="https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/actor-profile/michael-ball">Michael Ball </a>pointed out in a post-show speech, we're not there yet: that audience was 1,000 instead of 3,000, with social distancing and capacity caps still in place. It was a smaller band, too, looking lonely in the cavernous pit. All of which exacerbated a mismatch between this genial but modest production and the enormous venue.&nbsp;Yet thanks to a phenomenally hard-working ensemble, dynamically delivering Jerry Mitchell's witty, inventive choreography, it did capture the <a href="https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/hairspray">Hairspray</a> spirit — capped by the irresistible final number, "You Can't Stop the Beat," which had everyone up and dancing together. You don't get that with a streamed show in your living room.&nbsp;The big draw of this revival — originally due to run last year — is Ball reprising his Olivier-winning turn as Edna Turnblad, laundress mother of the dance-crazy Tracy, who has yet to embrace '60s liberation. Ball has total command of the material, landing one-liners with aplomb, forming an endearing bond with Lizzie Bea's Tracy, and relishing this multifaceted drag role. He can both work a feathered hem and threaten to throw a punch.&nbsp;It's a performance that shifts into panto at times, especially when Ball ad libs to crack up Les Dennis, playing husband Wilbur. Dennis is a jolly presence, but vocally underpowered and clearly busking it during the dance numbers.Overall, Jack O'Brien's production needs more tonal consistency. Rita Simons and Georgia Anderson play the Von Tussles as cartoon villains — enjoyably so in the latter case, giving us a very funny, shrill Amber. But that's slightly at odds with more grounded work elsewhere, particularly from Bea as Tracy and Ashley Samuels as Seaweed J Stubbs. This show is a tricky balancing act: relishing its zany, colourful fun, without losing the heartfelt story at the centre.However, Bea is a delight as the plus-sized, giant-haired Tracy, determined to follow her dreams of dancing on her favourite TV show. She could make more of the comic possibilities, but gets great mileage out of Tracy's unbridled lust for crooner Link (a suitably appealing Jonny Amies).&nbsp;Michael Vinsen's Corny Collins amusingly lives up to his name, shiny trousers and all (glorious costumes by William Ivey Long), while, as Penny, Mari McGinlay proves to be an adept physical comedian. There's also a scene-stealing turn by Kimani Arthur as Little Inez, while Ashley Samuels makes Seaweed a genuinely exciting dancer — and imbues those smooth moves with real meaning, too.But the knockout performance comes from Marisha Wallace as Motormouth Maybelle, whose "I Know Where I've Been" begins as an intimate, bluesy number, sung to her children, and builds to a great cry, testifying about her experiences and beseeching the heavens for progress.While Mark O'Donnell, Thomas Meehan, Marc Shaiman, and Scott Wittman's show does minimise social injustice with its overly neat ending, in some ways it feels startlingly contemporary. There's an activist protagonist using her platform to enact change, a joke about how rigging the justice system to win a contest is "un-American" that plays differently in 2021, and the lyrics of "I Know Where I've Been" still confront us"&nbsp;"Just to sit still would be a sin" is the challenge issued by the Black Lives Matter movement to be more than a passive ally.Yet, ultimately, Hairspray is a great big hug of a show. With its catchy '60s songs and explosive dancing, it's a joyful welcome back to musical theatre audiences — and to a re-emerging West End.<a href="https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/hairspray">Hairspray is running through 30 September at the London Coliseum. Book Hairspray tickets in the West End on London Theatre today.</a>Photo credit: Lizzie Bea as Tracy Turnblad and Jonny Amies as Link Larkin (Photo by Tristram Kenton)<div>&nbsp;</div>

'Hairspray' brings the beat and a big heart back to the West End

The London Coliseum opened in 1904. When the Coliseum first opened, it was home to variety shows – chariot races even took place. The idea stood that if shows weren’t accessible to the general public, then it didn’t have a place at the London Coliseum. 

In 1968, the theatre became the home of Sadler’s Wells Opera (now the English National Opera), with the London Coliseum auditiorium redesigned to allow for a large orchestra. The London Coliseum has such a presence in the English opera calendar that it’s now the British home of operatic performances.

The London Coliseum has the widest proscenium arch in the West End, measuring at 55 feet wide.

## London Coliseum Seating Information

The London Coliseum seats 2,359 people across two levels - Stalls, Dress Circle, Upper Circle and Balcony. All seats offer an excellent view of the London Coliseum stage, so you can feel a part of the action.

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London Coliseum

[Poster] Dreamgirls 2731

The Savoy Theatre opened on 21 Oct. 1929. The building was known for being the first public building to be lit entirely by electricity. 

When a fire ravaged the theatre in 1990, destroying the interior, it was meticulously restored by Sir William Whitfield to the original 1929 designs. The theatre reopened on 19 Jul. 1993.

The D’Oyly Carte Opera Company played several seasons at the theatre over the past 20 years, their last production being *HMS Pinafore* in 2003. 

The theatre has also housed several musicals, including *She Loves Me* in 1994 starring John Gordon Sinclair and Ruthie Henshall, and has played host to musicals exclusively since 2006. 

## Savoy Theatre Seating Information

The auditorium has three levels - Stalls, Dress Circle and Grand Circle.

In the Stalls, the legroom throughout is very good, and the seating is well raked to ensure good views.

In the Dress Circle, the overhang of the Grand Circle affects the view from Row K onwards. The amount of legroom also decreases the further back you sit.

The Grand Circle feels rather far from the stage.

## Where is *Pretty Woman: The Musical* in London?

*Pretty Woman: The Musical* is at the Savoy Theatre in London. The Savoy Theatre is located on the Strand. It's close to West End theatres including the Adelphi Theatre and the Vaudeville Theatre.

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