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Dir: Michael Grandage.
Cast: Claire Sweeney, Ben Richards, Don Johnson, Lisa Stokke
Description: Major new production of the classic Frank Loesser musical about the New York underworld of the 1940s, inhabited by gamblers, nightclub artistes and Salvation Army members. Directed by Michael Grandage.
Trains: Tube: Piccadilly Circus 
Phone: 0870060 6630
Website: www.theambassadors.com/piccadilly
Claire Sweeney and Patrick Swayze star in Guys & Dolls
Patrick Swayze is out of the corner. After a chest infection did its worst, he who was once voted nothing less than "sexiest man in the world" has made his belated West End debut.
The legions of fans he has had since the career-making Dirty Dancing in 1987 will no doubt have the time of their lives seeing their man in the flesh and in a rather fetching trilby to boot. Yet lovers of show-stopping musical theatre performances will more likely nod politely in his direction and move on.
For no gambler's sleight of hand can disguise the fact that Swayze, as Nathan Detroit, has what is markedly the smaller of the two male lead roles in Frank Loesser's tune-stuffed "musical fable of Broadway". Until a rousing late rally, Swayze sings little and dances even less.
Admittedly he hits the right notes of nervous braggadocio as the high-talking, lowliving, marriage-dodging organiser of the "Oldest Established Permanent Floating Crap Game in New York", but it is not until the duet Sue Me, at the latter end of Act Two, that he truly commands the gaping Piccadilly stage.
After this, grown in stature and shrunk in first night nerves, he proceeded to display some fine comic timing as he corralled Detroit's fellow reprobates into a house of repentance.
It was a smart move on the producers' part to use Swayze to swizzle up such a buzz of anticipation around a show that has already been running for 15 months.
However the real star of the evening is not a high roller, but rather the holy roller Sarah Brown, leader of a demoralised Salvation Army mission. The outstanding Kelly Price, promoted from the chorus, has a wonderfully pure voice.
Her look of growing delight as a whole realm of hitherto unknown sensual pleasures is revealed in a Havana bar is something to cherish.
Former Royal Ballet star Adam Cooper fares very well - or even nicely nicely - as Sky Masterson, which, oddly, creates a problem.
Sarah and Sky are so much more convincing a couple than Nathan and Miss Adelaide (Claire Sweeney) that a fatal imbalance of audience affection arises.
Sweeney makes the " wellknown fiancée" so strident and remarkably sniffle-free for someone with a permanent cold that we can't find much sympathy for her marital status.
Michael Grandage's production is still admirably slick, even though the issues that many critics raised when it first opened remain. Christopher Oram's sparse set creates little sense of time and place; the more space that is left unused, the more the ghost of Richard Eyre's seminal 1982/1996 National Theatre version seems to stand up and rock the boat.
Apart from those scintillating minutes in Cuba, the choreography also lacks razzle-dazzle, a fault that is unforgivable now Cooper's skills are available. What's needed is more dancing, dirty or otherwise. Anyone know of a man who could help out?
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
Offer: Guys And Dolls tickets - the Piccadilly Theatre - up to £35 off*
Price: £20.00
Details: A West End revival of the 1950's musical which takes you back to the Broadway life of the classic 40's. ...more
* Online booking only
The production of this show was great, it was non-stop with the singing and dancing. The cast were brilliant, in particular Samantha Janus with great. Would loved to of seen Patrick Swayze in the lead role but it was great all the same.
- Irene, North London
Swayze is an unprofessional lightweight!
After already taking time off with 'flu' and a whole week off for a holiday, he couldn't be bothered to appear in the following Wednesday's matinee...Unimpressed by his lack of commitment.
Who does he think he is? People pay good money to see him perform, and he is letting his fans down!
- Anon, London
I paid a little bit more than I would normally for a west end show just to see Patrick but alas he was off with man flu on the date I chose. There were lots of disgruntled punters demanding their money back but I thought, I am here so let's just go and see the show. Claire Sweeney did an excellent job, I expected nothing less. Patrick Swayze is a bit of west end lightweight really. The show was fantastic, the storyline, the songs, the dance routines were all absolutely fabulous and I thoroughly enjoyed this. I will not pay through the nose again though and thought the price expensive despite this being billed as sponsored by American Airlines, to what extent? Go and see it for the show rather than the stars, it really is a good show.
- Jackie Djemaa, London
Swayze is fantastic in this show! He plays the character really well, but I agree that there wasn't enough dancing from him - he's a brill dancer and I'd have liked to ahve seen more of this. The whole production is better than I could have imagined and I encourage anyone who has seen the film to watch this. You will not be disappointed!
- Naomi, Mornington Crescent
With a bundle of excitement and so many wonderful memories of Dirty Dancing, Ghost and Point Break, I saw Guys and Dolls last night in London. My dreams were shattered. Yes - the production is outstanding - (due to the calibre of the musical, great script and setting) but I would have liked to have seen more of Patrick Swayze - every dance routine he was hidden in the back and you had to really focus to find him. The stars truly are Adam Cooper who plays Sky and Kelly Price his love interest. They were superb. The Cuban scene was outstanding.
Sadly, though, it was Patrick's dancing I really wanted to see - so will now hunt for the Dirty Dancing DVD...
- Meera Vohora, London, UK
