Skipping into the spotlight with the stars of Broadway classic Guys & Dolls
Koorliny Arts Centre in Kwinana is set to whisk audiences away to 1950s New York City as the beloved Broadway musical Guys and Dolls hits the stage from Friday, May 2, to Saturday, May 10, with tickets on sale now! Following the colourful lives of gamblers, showgirls, and dreamers as they chase love and luck, Guys and Dolls is hailed as one of the greatest musical comedies of all time, having earned numerous accolades, including Tony, Drama Desk and Olivier Awards. BRAYDEN EDWARDS spoke with director Rp Van Der Westhuizen and stars Jenelle Russo and Jamie Jewell—veterans of productions backed by industry legends like Cameron Mackintosh and Baz Luhrmann—to find out why this timeless classic continues to captivate audiences across generations.
It’s exciting to have this production of Guys and Dolls hitting the stage at Koorliny Arts Centre this next week! How long has this project been in the works for and how will it feel to share it with audiences?
(Answered by Director Rp Van Der Westhuizen)
Koorliny and I started this project last August with pre-production planning. This project has been sitting with us for a while now, and since casting the show in January, it has been incredible to see it grow and develop into the Guys & Dolls vision we had last year. We are so excited for audiences to see the hard work and incredible talent that has gone into every facet of this show.
What do you think it is about the play that has made it stand the test of time so well?
(Answered by Jenelle Russo who plays the role of Miss Adelaide)
Ultimately, this classic musical tells a story that love overcomes compromise and expectations. Love always wins; it never loses. Damon Runyon created characters and short stories of gamblers and showgirls, missions, and the streets of New York. From these rogue and loveable characters, Guys and Dolls the musical was written. Miss Adelaide, the role I play, was written especially for this musical. The play explores good versus evil, saint versus sinner, and criminal versus the law, and looks at the binaries of male versus female.
I guess different actors and directors bring their own unique flavour to the piece, either intentionally or not. What do you feel is particularly unique about this production of the play?
(Answered by Jamie Jewell who plays the role of Nicely-Nicely Johnson)
Rp’s casting of some huge personalities helps to bring this arcade video game version of the show to life.
What made you want to be part of this production? And what is the most challenging and most rewarding part of being in this show?
(Answered by Jamie Jewell who plays the role of Nicely-Nicely Johnson)
The production crew of Koorliny always manages to put on a great show. I wanted to work with Rp, and it’s close to home. The challenging part of any community theatre project is the long rehearsal period where things seem to take so long to get going, then the most rewarding part is production week, finally seeing all the pieces fit together, performers start to really grasp the nuances of their characters, dance scenes become electric, the lights, the music, and the costumes all meld together to create theatre magic, and finally the camaraderie of the players, which is what community theatre is all about.
The characters in this play have won the hearts of generations of audiences. Who will be bringing them to the stage for this show?
(Answered by Director Rp Van Der Westhuizen)
That could not be truer; these characters have stood the test of time and continue to be every actor’s dream to portray, so we are very fortunate to have some of Perth’s best in our show to bring them to life.
Lochlan Curtis is the charming Sky Masterson, and he brings a playful energy to the character that is really refreshing, while Hannah Charlotte is our fierce and steadfast Sarah Brown, whose portrayal is grounded and stunning. Ben Mullings portrays Nathan Detroit with the energy and scheming that the character requires, and Jenelle Russo is exceptional in her strong and confident portrayal of Miss Adelaide. Jamie Jewell as Nicely-Nicely is also a performance that is so fun, and he sings the house down in the show-stopping number Sit Down You’re Rocking The Boat. Their voices soar in this production along with an incredible supporting cast that makes the music of Guys & Dolls feel so new and brilliant.
There is, of course, so much more to a play than what we see on stage. Who else has helped bring this production to life…behind the curtain?
(Answered by Director Rp Van Der Westhuizen)
There is so much that goes on in putting together a production like this, from those that are involved in the planning process all the way to the making of the set, props, and costumes. We have an incredible team that has ensured that Guys & Dolls, and specifically my bold vision for it, could be brought to life.
We have an incredible 15-piece orchestra tucked away behind the stage led by our wonderful Musical Directors Tara Oorjitham and Taui Pinker, while Connie Wetherilt brought the music to life with her brilliant choreography. Lyn Leeder, who designed our beautiful costumes, was the first person that I contacted in the process of designing the show, and she jumped on board and delivered a design so vibrant, while Peter Carr created the beautiful set that our show takes place on, and Yvette Drager Wetherilt, who is one of the best in her field, designed our makeup and hair for the show.
Our real star of the team has been Penelope Colgan, who has been a major support to the production. From her incredible organisational skills to her attention to detail, she has been integral to the success of this show.
What’s something you hope audiences will feel, or learn, from seeing Guys and Dolls?
(Answered by Jenelle Russo who plays the role of Miss Adelaide)
As a cast and crew, I believe we are united in saying our hope is for audiences to leave Koorliny feeling alive and energised. Guys & Dolls is relatable across all generations. I’m really looking forward to my parents and my children watching this classic together. I’m predicting audiences will leave, unable to get Frank Loesser’s tunes out of their heads!
Guys and Dolls hits Theatre 1 at Koorliny Arts Centre from Friday, May 2, to Saturday, May 10, 2025. Tickets are on sale now from koorliny.com.au
Photos by Mark Labrow Photography
