(4 Dec 2017) THE CAST OF THE NEW PRODUCTION OF 'GUYS AND DOLLS' ON REHEARSING VS PERFORMING
As the first all-black U.K. production of "Guys and Dolls" gets underway in Manchester, England, cast members are adjusting their body clocks and embracing their run of evening performances after weeks of daytime rehearsals in London.
The show - which was performed with an all-black cast in the United States in the 1970s - is directed by Michael Buffong. Having floated the idea, and coached the cast through rehearsals, Buffong is now wishing them Godspeed.
t's an interesting thing when you're directing a show 'cause you're such an integral part of it, you know, up until kind of press night or just after, then suddenly it's like having your baby grow up and leave home. And you slightly feel redundant. But I think it's a good thing. I think it's great. I think it's great that - I always think of it as a painting, you spend a lot of time, you know, working on this painting and once you've done you put on the wall and lots of people come and look at it and admire it and you go off and you start another painting."
Abiona Omonua, who plays Sarah Brown, says she has no problem switching to evening working.
"It's really lovely having the rehearsals like 9 to 5 - you feel like you've sort of a normal person and then like, yeah, the shift's easy, you just, yeah, prioritizing the evening instead of the days and then you get your days which is wonderful as well and then you have time to like go to castings and stuff and do extra rehearsals if you need to. Yeah, it's kind of easy."
Co-star Ashley Zhangazha agrees.
"I quite like being a night owl, I quite like it when we get into shows and you know you work in the evening and you have your days free to kind of do what you like, there's something quite nice about it, I think," he says.
But he admits not all his friends understand his changing hours.
"Yeah, my family are used to it but some of my friends still don't understand it, yeah, don't understand the concept. 'Oh, so you only work for three hours in the evening?' and don't understand how difficult that can be. But yeah, it is what it is."
Shakespearean actor Ray Fearon plays charming hustler Nathan Detroit, leading a cast that includes Zhangazha, Omonua and Lucy Vandi (Miss Adelaide).
He is used to the change in working hours too.
"Yeah, it is what it is, yes all sort of part of the territory, really," he agrees. "You kind of switch, your body just - yeah, you kind of know what to do."
The high-energy production features classic songs including "Luck Be A Lady," "Sit Down, You're Rockin' The Boat," with the infamous story of gangsters and hustlers moved uptown to 1939 Harlem.
Fearon says he loved watching it all come together in London.
"You sort of go, 'Can I do this?' and by week three, four, you think, 'This is possible.' And then by week six you're thinking, 'Let's go in the theater.' So I love that because you don't get this in film and telly (TV) a lot, you know, unless you work with a director that actually asks for the time, you know? But when you're doing screen you don't really really get a lot of rehearsal, so to come back in the rehearsal room I just think is always a joy, really. And to work in the minds of genius, that's the great thing - when the M.D. starts to sort of go through those songs and you just go, 'How did he, how did that guy write all those voices to go together?' and when you hear them, you go, 'Jesus. How did he sit there writing that?' But it's just, it's fascinating."
Buffong is on hand in case he's needed - but is confident his cast have it all in hand.

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