Guys and Dolls

Guys and Dolls runs at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre from 8 to 11 July, the summer production from the Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company. It's their ninth large-scale musical since 2017, and it takes you back to 1950s New York. The story follows two gamblers, the smooth Sky Masterson and the hustler Nathan Detroit, and the women they're with, all tied together by a bet that seems impossible to win.

There's a twist to this version: the gamblers Big Jule and Angie the Ox are played as women, so the 'crapshooters' are female this time around. The production is built around a large cast, and the creative team is all women: Kathryn Lay directs and serves as creative director, Lorna Newby handles the choreography, and Jess Viner is the musical director, returning to the company after directing the professional tour of Singing in the Rain in China.

On stage, Callum Mathers plays Sky Masterson, Rebecca Jackson is Sarah Brown, Kit Stroud takes on Nathan Detroit, and Jennifer Jones is Adelaide. The show runs in the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, a registered charity that serves York and North Yorkshire. It's a 365-seat proscenium arch theatre with full stage facilities, including the ability to fly scenery, which comes in handy for a production of this scale.

It's a paid event, and the JRTC has a tradition of bringing big musicals to the local community every year. Since 2017, their volunteer actors have raised over £60,000 for the theatre, with more than £12,300 coming from their previous production, Calamity Jane. Tickets are available through the official website, josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.