Pep missing in cheeky classic

Shane Cortese - pictured with Anthea Hill and Sophia Hawthorne - holds attention as Nathan Detroit.

Catchy songs and wise-cracks are begging for a bit more snap.

One looks for snap, bubble and froth in this classic wise-crackin' musical comedy about gamblers and nightclub dancers. But this production, like a couple of other traditional-style Auckland Theatre Company shows this year, falls rather flat - and it's not just the off-key singing.

The 1950s show delivers a cheeky swag of ridiculous gender stereotypes ("marry the man today and change his ways tomorrow") that beg to be delivered tongue-in-cheek.

But director Raymond Hawthorne has eschewed customary interpretations and not even the flirtations are particularly sparky here.

The usually twinkly, self-mocking I've Never Been In Love Before is sung as mournfully as a dirge, as if high-roller Sky Masterson really is worried his life is over, now that he wants to see a broad more than once.

The whole thing is in need of some pep - more dancing perhaps? While it's true most scenes are set at night, the gloomy lighting and maroon-and-black decor don't help the low energy.

The band is hidden away, and the set is dominated by a gigantic sign that reads "Guys and Dolls". In case we mistake the show for something else?

Still, there are some good moments: the excited intensity of the male chorus in Lady Luck, the leg-flicking exuberance of the Hot Box girls' A Bushel and a Peck.

Shane Cortese holds attention as Nathan Detroit, while David Aston and Stephen Lovatt shine in their moments. In the chorus, Olivia Tennet matches charm and fun with excellent footwork.

It's entertaining: the lyrics are witty and those tunes are really hummable. If only more of the cast looked like they were enjoying themselves.

Theatre review

• What: Guys and Dolls

• Where: Q Theatre, Queen St, Auckland CBD

• When: To December 5

• Reviewed by: Janet McAllister