Made with Xara Web Designer Keswick Amateur Operatic Society Production Coordinators Doreen Wilkinson & Mary Coote Director Mike Eccles Musical Director  Stuart Stokell Choreographers Debbie Nelson and Mike Eccles                                 The Cast  Sarah Brown Sarah Warner Sky Masterson Mark Crossley Nathan Detroit Chris Briggs Adelaide Sharon Helling Big Jule Mike Holden Benny Southstreet Neil Airey Arvide Abernathy Mike Goodwin Nicely Nicely Johnson Simon Noble Lt Brannigan Jack Jenkins Harry the Horse Paul Paxon General Cartwright Linda Lowth      Times and Star Friday March 25 2005     Keswick revival of Guys and Dolls KESWICK Amateur Operatic Society’s production of Guysand Dolls is at the town’s Theatre by the Lake in May. Based on Damon Runyon’s book “The Idylls of Miss Sarah Brown”, it premiered in England at the Coliseum Theatre in London in 1953. The best-known version is the film starring Frank Sinatra and Marion Brando.     The show stars a motley crowd of gamblers, eccentrics, do-gooders and nightclub entertainers, with the men engaged in playing the illegal dice game known as ‘shooting crap’ and the Salvation Army mission’s attempts to reform the players.   Sarah Warner plays Salvation Army Sergeant Sarah Brown and opposite her playing Sky Masterson is Mark Crossley.  The show is a riot of comedy, drama, love and unforgettable songs including A Bushel and a Peck, If I Were a Bell, I’ve Never Been in Love Before, Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat and Luck Be a Lady. Guys and Dolls runs from Tuesday May 3 to Saturday May 7, curtain-up at 7:30pm. Call 017867 74411 to book. Dolls - in basques - what a show Guys & Dolls- Keswick Amateur Operatic Society, Theatre by the Lake, Wednesday May 4 A BOLD, brave and bubbling performance by Keswicks ever- popular amateur operatic soci ety. And its the dolls who steal this particular show. The one major criticism of Guys and Dolls was that it could have done with a bit of judi cious shortening. Some of the slower songs were too slow and this affected the overall pace and punch of the show. But given there was a shortage of time to prepare, new behind-the-scenes team of artistic director Mike Eccles and musical director Stuart Stokell can feel pleased with the result. High spot of the night was the chorus of ladies who brought the house down as they stripped to their undies for the scene in the Hot Box Nightclub at the start of the second half. Anyone caught dozing after their interval refreshments would soon have perked up at the sight of black basques and stocking tops. The brasher, livelier numbers like Sit Down Your Rockin' The Boat got the audience foot tapping and Sarah Warner, as Sister Sarah from the Save-a-Soul Mission, and Mark Crossley, a gambler with a heart Sky Masterson, performed excellently together in the lead roles. Sharon Helling had an Alma Cogan-like chuckle in her voice as Miss Adelaide, the dancer who had been waiting l4years to marry the notably unreliable Nathan Detroit (Chris Briggs). Jack Jenkins looked just right as the police lieutenant always on the trail of the illicit gamblers and there were plenty of good supporting roles. The storyline revolves round a bet that Sky can take straight-laced Sarah on a trip to Cuba. Sky wins, but finds himself falling in love and his future happiness eventually depends on the roll of the dice. You don't need to guess that the gamblers manage to save their souls to save the mission room from closing, and there are happy endings all round to send the audience home smiling. Guys and Dolls is on at the lakeside theatre until Saturday. ROSS BREWSTER The Cumberland News Friday 20th May 2005 Stripping yarn with the bubbly dolls Guys &Dolls - Keswick Amateur Operatic Society Theatre by the Lake, Keswick A BOLD, brave and bubbling performance by Keswick's ever-popular amateur operatic society. The one major criticism of Guys and Dolls was that it could have done with a bit of judicious shortening. Some of the songs were too slow and this affected the overall pace and punch of the show. But given the shortage of time they had to prepare, the new behind-the-scenes team of artistic director Mike Eccles and musical director Stuart Stokell can feel pleased with the result. High spot of the night was the chorus of ladies who brought the house down as they stripped to their undies for the scene in the Hot Box Nightclub at the start of the second half. Anyone caught dozing after their interval refreshments would soon have perked up at the sight of black basques and stocking tops. The brasher, livelier numbers like Sit Down You're Rockin' The Boat got the audience's feet tapping. Sarah Warner, as Sister Sarah from the Save-a-Soul Mission, and Mark Crossley, as gambler Sky Masterson, performed excellently together in the lead roles. Sharon Helling had an Alma Cogan- like chuckle in her voice as Miss Adelaide, the dancer who had been waiting 14 years to marry the notably unreliable Nathan Detroit (Chris Briggs), and there were plenty of good supporting roles. And there are happy endings all round to send the audience home smiling. ROSS BREWSTER Times and Star Thursday 5th May 2005 The Cumberland News Friday 20th May 2005  NODA North West News Summer 2005 Peter Hendren Region 10 Representative "Guys and Dolls" - KESWICK A.O.S. A smashing production from the ever improving Keswick A.O.S. Director Mike Eccles had many light touches of business, and, coupled with the expertise of the scenery staff, the show just ‘fizzed’ along ! Stuart Stokell had a suitably brassy small orchestra, which he enhanced on the keyboard. I enjoyed Chris Briggs as Nathan Detroit, and also Simon Noble as Nicely Nicely. His “Sit down You’re Rockin’ the Boat” was quite excellent, though the choreography at this point almost overshadowed it!  A wonderful ensemble number for all. However the show honours go to Sarah Warner as ‘Sarah Browne’. Her singing and diction was pure and exemplary throughout. Great entertainment Keswick - Well Done ! Tuesday 3rd May to Saturday 7th May 2005