Guys and Dolls as presented by GUMS

Public Adjudication 

Society name: Galway University Musical Society (GUMS) 

Show name: Guys and Dolls 

Date of attendance: 8th February 2025 

The Black Box Theatre was the venue for Galway University Musical Society’s production of ‘Guys and Dolls.’ It may be three quarters of a century old but there is still an enduring appeal about this musical fable of Broadway, based on the stories and characters of Damon Runyon and his distinctive, post-prohibition vernacular. 1930s New York may be a far cry from a modern day university campus in the west of Ireland but this talented group of students still approached the iconic show with considerable energy and enthusiasm. With limited resources, they produced a rather lengthy show with memorable characters and plenty of laughs. 

Cast members were busy in the lead up to the show, introducing themselves to patrons, in character, and selling raffle tickets. Nathan and Sky conducted the raffle, in character of course, at the interval. The front of house announcements, referencing the show’s characters, were witty but I felt that they were a little overcooked. 

Kate O’Dowd will have learned a lot from directing such a mammoth production. This was a long show, taking just over three hours. Pace was an issue at times and things could have been tightened up in places. With such a large cast on stage, it was sometimes difficult to know where the point of focus was meant to be. The opening Runyonland sequence was quite chaotic from an audience perspective. It wasn’t always clear who the characters were or what was meant to be happening. There was generally a good eye for comedy and the audience enjoyed the many funny scenarios that unfolded. Much will have been learned from the experience. I look forward to seeing Ms. O’Dowd build on this experience, as she brings her enthusiasm and passion to future productions. 

Sarah O’Dowd and Eoin Nicklin shared the role of musical director, with Ms. O’Dowd conducting an orchestra made up primarily of student musicians with a few pros thrown in for support. Tempi were not always secure. To be fair to Ms. O’Dowd, some musicians needed to be more aware and to keep a closer eye on her to ensure a tighter orchestral sound. There was strong work chorally, with a fine sound from the cast and, in particular, the gentlemen, who were most impressive in their bigger numbers. There was good work too from the ladies in ‘A Bushel and a Peck’ and ‘Take Back Your Mink.’Underscoring was sensitively handled throughout the show. Overall, a very good job on cast vocals but there was room for development in terms of orchestral work. 

Lorna Collins’s choreography was generally very good throughout the show. However, some routines were hampered by overcrowding on stage, which took away from both movement and overall shape. The Havana sequence was so crowded that it was difficult to see formations, as dancers competed with one other for space. When fewer people were on stage, the choreography flowed in a more exciting and precise way. The two Hot Box numbers were the highlights of the night. ‘Take Back Your Mink’ was particularly sharp, with good precision and great use of the full stage. Hats off to the very talented bunch of dancers in this number. ‘Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat’ was very well conceived and performed with much glee by the cast, who were clearly enjoying every second. 

Mike O’Sullivan was a very suave Sky Masterson. Mr. O’Sullivan had a very relaxed and natural presence on stage, which really suited the role. An intelligent actor, he balanced sincerity with duplicity when he first arrived in the Mission, in a most convincing, nuanced, and comical way. Mr. O’Sullivan sang very well too and was particularly strong at delivering the narrative through song. 

Eimear Wolohan did very well as Sarah Brown, the “Mission doll” who ultimately manages to rehabilitate the highest roller of them all, Sky Masterson. Ms. Wolohan was in tune with both text and subtext, with good delivery of dialogue and a clear understanding of the narrative. Her beautiful soprano voice was at its best in ‘I’ll Know’ and her ‘Marry the Man Today,’ with Adelaide, was wonderful. 

Jonathan Newman is one of the most exciting, up and coming comedians on the AIMS circuit and we will be hearing a lot about him in the future. He did a Nathan as Nathan Detroit, bringing to mind Mr. Lane’s accent and inflections in what was a very funny, well-studied characterisation. Dialogue was generally well delivered although there were some pacing issues with very long pauses being a hallmark of his characterisation. Mr. Newman had a great physicality and an hilarious range of facial expressions. ‘Sue Me’ was a highlight of physicality and musicality, with Mr. Newman showing off a fine, expressive baritone. 

Laura McGinley was an impressive Miss Adelaide, balancing the comic possibilities of the role with a lovely layer of poignancy. Accent and delivery were super. Her scenes with Mr. Newman were very well paced and comic timing was excellent. There was a great rapport between the two. One doesn’t usually come away from a production of ‘Guys and Dolls’ thinking about what a great singer Adelaide was. However, Ms. McGinley turned that on its head with her superb vocal performance. Her effortless, powerhouse delivery was very impressive, especially in ‘Take Back Your Mink.’ Her lament was funny, poignant and very well sung. 

Killian Cogan had great energy, expression and comic timing as Nicely Nicely Johnson. Mr. Cogan had excellent stage presence and was always in tune with the narrative, whether directly involved in a scene or not. His “rare tropical aunt” scene with Sky was very funny indeed. He also displayed a fabulous tenor voice in his excellently performed ‘Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat’. 

Olivia Berry’s gender swapping Arvide Abernathy was interesting. I felt that Ms. Berry had wonderful potential in the role which was very over the top at times. Less is often more and toning things down slightly would have helped to make her character more sincere, in my opinion. Ms. Cogan had a beautiful voice and I loved the heartfelt delivery of ‘More I Cannot Wish You’ which was so sensitively delivered. 

I found it very hard to see past Thomas Cannon’s strong Donegal accent in his portrayal of Lieutenant Brannigan. He was clearly a good performer but the choice did jar with me, especially when the occasional “aye” was dropped in for effect. It felt like his accent became the comic vehicle rather than the text. 

Robert Cosgrove was a diminutive Big Jule, the Chicago ‘scoutmaster’ who wants in on the NYC gambling action. Mr. Cosgrove was a good character actor. He did, however, need to take more care with diction and projection at times. He was very funny in the Mission scene as he recounted his lack of convictions. 

Cormac Kerins, as Harry the Horse, had the most glorious, booming, deep voice which would give Morgan Freeman a run for his money. He was a great addition to the male chorus numbers. He needed to be conscious of pace at times and more awareness of positioning would have helped his characterisation greatly. 

Ben Donohoe was a lively, energetic Benny Southstreet with good comic timing and a great voice in ‘Fugue for Tinhorns’ and ‘Guys and Dolls.’ He was a standout performer in all of the bigger production numbers too. 

The role of Rusty Charlie is terribly underwritten. However, Jacob Flanagan did a good job with it, shining in all of the bigger scenes. He sang very well in ‘Fugue for Tinhorns’ right up to that final, solo “Epitaph!” when things went awry. 

General Cartwright was played by Taryn Clarke and she had good, strong presence befitting of the Salvation Army boss. There were some curious delivery choices though, with Ms. Clarke unnecessarily breaking the fourth wall, on occasion. 

Eloise De Sousa and Aoife O’Sullivan did very well as featured dancers in Havana and there was good support too from Eoin Conroy as Angie the Ox, Anna Maloney as Mimi and Brian Kearney as Joey Biltmore. 

There was no doubting the energy and enthusiasm of the very large ensemble. Sometimes this exuberance needed to be controlled, as background business became overly distracting and drew focus from the principal cast during dialogue and key moments. Singing was very strong indeed and it was clear that a great deal of work had been put into the gorgeous vocal harmonies. There was great work from the Hot Box girls and good focus from all involved in the sewer scene too. 

Clodagh O’Sullivan did well as stage manager, marshalling a committed and organised crew who ensured that all changes were slick and conducted with minimum fuss. 

The set was basic but functional. Upstage, we had a fine NYC skyline, a permanent fixture for the duration of the show. Two ‘building’ trucks, covered in signs reversed to give us the interior of the Mission. The interior of the Mission needed a lot of attention as it was far too bare to look ‘real.’ The Hot Box slash curtain piece looked so well but it wasn’t used. Could Adelaide have made at least one of her entrances through this? Havana and the sewer were disappointing. There was no sense of place in either and, because of the way in which things were set up, we were still in the streets of NYC for both. With so many varying locations in ‘Guys and Dolls,’ projection might have been a good, cost-effective route to take at the design stage. 

Unfortunately, a lot more attention to detail was required in the props and furniture department. 

Lighting was a mixed bag for the most part. The plot was basic but worked quite well. There was nice silhouetting of cast at the end of numbers like ‘Oldest Established.’ On either side of the stage, six visible par cans, mounted on upright poles and pointing in various directions, pulsed blue and amber light throughout transitions and in some songs. I felt that this was an unusual choice. We lost front light during ‘Guys and Dolls’ leaving cast faces in darkness.

With no change of set, a lot more was required in terms of design and timing of cues as we snapped from the dance sequences to the downstage left action during the Havana scene. 

Sound was generally very good indeed, with very clear vocals and dialogue. No entries were missed in what is a very busy show. The show could have benefited from some sound effects, like the phone or some traffic. The sound balance in choral numbers was very good indeed.

Costumes were generally good. The Salvation Army uniforms looked well, although more attention was needed to the skirt styles and lengths to ensure uniformity. The guys’ suits were suitably slick. Their hats were all the same though and might have benefited from coloured bands tying in with their tie colours. The Hot Box girls’ classy black dresses for ‘Take Back Your Mink’ were nicely sophisticated and their reveal worked very well. I didn’t feel that the yellow and white ensembles for ‘Bushel and a Peck’ were of the era though.

Havana was a missed opportunity. With no change of set, the costuming should have been the medium through which a sense of place was achieved. The crapshooters’ ballet was a bit of a mishmash with some modern blouses, not tucked in and uncertainty as to who the additional people were supposed to be. If the girls were to be established as gangsters, more attention needed to be given to their look. Waistcoats, hats, and a tidier look overall were necessary. 

More attention was needed to hair and makeup design. There was no real attempt to replicate hairstyles of the era. Some of the Salvation Army ladies, including General Cartwright herself, had quite the rebellious streak, with their bright red lipsticks and strong eyeshadow. The Hot Box girls were suitably ‘showy’ and Adelaide looked every inch the star of the Hot Box. 

This was an entertaining production of the timeless classic. The talent is undoubtedly there, in bucketfuls, and I know that many of the performers will be rising to prominence through the musical society circuit for years to come. Well done on taking on such a big show and very best wishes with your future endeavours.

Pat McElwain

Gilbert Adjudicator 24/25

Photos taken by Paul O’Mahony - Former member of GUMS