Writes Cheryl Clarke, Director of Drama
We are delighted to invite the whole community to the Joint Musical, Guys and Dolls. The show will feature a fantastic cast of pupils from Merchant Taylors’ and St Helen’s School, supported by the Drama Technical Crew, who are already preparing to transform the Great Hall into a theatre once again.
Guys and Dolls will take you on a journey to 20th century New York. Featuring classics including Luck Be A Lady and Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat, it promises to be a great night out for all the family. Performances are Wednesday 18, Thursday 19 and Friday 20 November 7pm – 10pm in the Great Hall. We do hope you can come along and support the Performing Arts at Taylors’.
The Studio Theatre has been the usual hub of activity in the early weeks of term involving pupils across two schools and four-year groups. The Production Team for the Joint Musical is made up of staff across the school with acting, singing and movement rehearsals often running alongside with Mrs Chamberlain’s dance rehearsals.
Tickets can be purchased at https://development.mtsn.org.uk/events
Two experienced cast members, Peter B. (U6th) (Nicely-Nicely Johnson) and George R. (L6ths) (Nathan Detroit) are fresh from their summer seasons with the National Youth Music Theatre and National Youth Theatre respectively. They share their experiences of the rehearsal process so far, their dramatic and musical journeys at Taylors’, and what they are looking forward to this term.
Writes, George R. (L6th)
This November, MTS and St Helen’s are once again bringing 1950s New York to the Great Hall’s stage, and work is already well underway!
Guys and Dolls is often lauded as the perfect musical comedy, and despite sharing a setting with West Side Story (the last musical production at Taylors’), it is a whole new kettle of fish for the 51 students and staff members involved. It’s another huge group effort across schools and departments – Drama, Music, and Science, to name but a few. Both our Head Monitor and St Helen’s Head Girl are in the cast and there are major Student Leadership roles too, on both performance and technical sides.
As always, it’s brilliant to work with the girls from St Helen’s – there are both new and familiar faces at rehearsals. This is the third production I’m lucky enough to have been a part of at Taylors’, so it’s great to be reunited with friends from West Side Story (my allegiances still lie with the Sharks) and last year’s Joint Play, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, in which I played Christopher. I was cast as Nathan this time and am equally excited and terrified by the idea of singing and dancing in some of the show’s classic musical numbers.
Following gamblers, gangsters, policemen, preachers, nightclub dancers, frustrated fiancées and the odd car mechanic – from the underbelly of Broadway to sunny Havana – we hope you join us in November for Guys and Dolls, the Joint Musical for 2026!
Writes, Peter B. (U6th)
Guys and Dolls is one of my favourite musicals, and to get the opportunity to play the role of Nicely-Nicely Johnson is proving to be an absolute joy. So far, I have loved exploring the whimsical and outlandish nature of his characterisation. In rehearsals, guided by the dramatical genius of Miss Clarke and Mr Talboys, I have been working on developing the comedic relationship between Nicely and Benny.
As to be expected with Musical Theatre, the rehearsals are hard work, nevertheless the commitment from across the cast is unmatched. I love being part of this team, because I know that together we are beginning to create something brilliant.
It’s also great to experience the musical wisdom of Mr Couldridge and Mr Tonks once again for this show. I am really looking forward to rehearsing the second half of the show, where I sing “Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat.” It is undoubtedly my favourite song in the show, and it will be enjoyable to sing and act this out.
From The Addams Family in 2023 when I was in Divisions, to West Side Story in 2024 and Amelie in 2025, Guys and Dolls marks the grand finale to my time on the Merchant Taylors’ stage. Nicely is a one-of-a-kind character to play, and it will be a pleasure to bring him to life in the Great Hall in November.
Please do come and see us – it’s going to be fantastic!
