Mrs Macquaries Point

These days, it seems the best thing that a musical can be is non-traditional. Countless new productions have landed on our stages in recent years, proclaiming that their show is “like nothing we’ve ever seen before”. And while it is exciting to see new works that push the form into genre-defying territory (the brilliant Hadestown is testament to this) as well as productions that put a new twist on well-trodden territory (like The Hayes’ reinvention of The Pirates of Penzance), it’s a refreshing change to see the complete opposite: a proper classic musical theatre spectacle, that remains authentic to the source material. Opera Australia’s fresh production of Guys & Dolls – the latest outdoor spectacle in the Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour series – gives us just that, with the picturesque backdrop of the Sydney skyline, to boot.  Recommended: get ready with our guide to going to Guys & Dolls on Sydney Harbour The New York imagined by Damon Runyon, whose short stories served as inspiration for Guys & Dolls, is a place of heightened realism, populated by comical gangsters with absurd names like Harry the Horse and a thirst for illegal gambling. Director Shaun Rennie (Jesus Christ Superstar) stays true to this world, while also injecting some fresh touches. Brian Thomson’s heightened stage design perfectly compliments this – oversized set pieces, such as a giant yellow taxi, make the most of the unique outdoor setting and the enormous floating stage.  The production’s stars...