We’ve all heard the saying ‘sit down you’re rocking the boat’, but how many people actually know where it’s from? Guys and Dolls is a classic, originally written in 1950 and homing more hit songs than any other musical.

The play features 4 main characters, Nathan Detroit, Miss Adelaide, Sarah Brown, and Sky Masterson, who form two far-fetched couples.

Nathan Detroit is a crap game organiser who gambles money he doesn’t have, and his fiancée of fourteen years, Adelaide, who is the lead singer at the ‘Hot Box’ and wants nothing more than to get married, Detroit wanting anything but.

Similarly, Sky Masterson is a gambler who loves betting on things with high stakes, like getting girls, one in particular. Sarah Brown is a sergeant for the Mission, passionate about her cause and not expecting to fall in love with her complete opposite.

Although they are exaggerated, the relationships in the play reflect real-life struggles that can occur between two people, such as trust, communication and fidelity issues.

This is shown rather explicitly in Detroit and Adelaide’s relationship. For the duration of the play, the two fight a lot over their trust issues, particularly near the start of the play, where Detroit lies about throwing another one of his infamous crap games.

However, it’s more subtle with Sarah and Sky, their problems seeming more realistic, although their relationship is definitely not. They reflect a more problem-free aspect of relationships, typically known as the ‘honeymoon period’. Even though they battle with the prospect of being in a relationship at first, their problems are relatively more scarce.

Street Culture is also a massive part of the play, the unruly city of New York providing as the backdrop for the musical. The characters use the city for its excitement and promise, much like the people of today, who go to New York for the numerous opportunities, or to chase their dreams.

The other main theme of ‘Guys and Dolls’ is the social hierarchy. Throughout the play, Detroit is struggling to pay for the space to hold his crap game, and bets Sky, a rich gambler. Another example of a character higher up the food chain is Big Jule, who forces the other boys to stay at the crap game for much longer than intended.

This also mirrors today’s life, as in a city that big it’s hard to not let economical differences and societal norms influence you, your life, and your exchanges with others. 

One avid musical-watcher, Edward Cummins, said that although he though there were elements of truth in musicals, he thinks they are “always rather idealised.”