Interview: 'It's a Celebration of Loving Somebody': George Ioannides of GUYS & DOLLS on Playing Sky Masterson

Stand aside, Les Mis - The Bridge Theatre is currently playing host to one of the most revolutionary shows in London, and surprisingly, it’s a musical from the 1950s. Guys & Dolls, which opened in March 2023, has transformed the theatre into an immersive space that transports guests to not only New York City but Havana, Cuba! There are places for audience members to stand and move around as the different stages are lifted up and down, the actors mingling in the space and truly making you feel as if you are a part of the show. 

BroadwayWorld sat down for a chat with George Ioannides, who has taken on the role of Sky Masteron after being in the ensemble of the show since its opening. We discussed what it has been like to be part of such a revolutionary show, how he has prepared to take on the role of Sky and some favourite moments from his time in the show.

What made you want to be a part of this production of Guys & Dolls?

When I saw the project, the main thing that attracted me was just how different its approach was to the space. The idea of revolutionising musical theatre the way that we have was something that really drew me to the project and made me want to be a part of it.

Had you been a fan of the show before joining the cast?

My experience with Guys & Dolls was at college, mostly looking at the material, working with that, but this is definitely the first version I've seen! 

What is it like being part of such an immersive experience?

It’s really fun to do! It's so fun being so close to everybody. We definitely feel that energy a lot more than I've ever felt before in any other type of work that I've done. Having that closeness, that intimacy with the audience and being so close to the energy that we depend on is a gift.

How does it feel to be taking on the role of Sky Masterson?

Pretty cool, to be honest! [Laughs] It's a really fun character to have a go at. I'm still finding new parts of him and his relationship with everybody else, all the other characters in space. It's really exciting!

Do you have a favourite moment in the show to perform?

I think the mission scene, the initial mission scene with Sarah Brown, Celinde [Schoenmaker], is a really fun one. There's a lot of opportunity there to play and it's a fun moment to have in the show.

What has it been like going from an ensemble member to a leading role like Sky Masterson?

Well, I've seen the creation of the role! I was lucky enough to be in a lot of the rehearsal space with Andrew [Richardson] and Celinde when they were creating this with Nick [Hytner]. It was pretty amazing to have access to that space as an ensemble and a cover because I was covering as Sky, initially.

Having a chance to see Andrew also interpret the character was incredible for me - it really gave me that kind of stepping stone into the space. I'm very grateful to have had that opportunity to see it come to life and evolve. It's been a different approach to the same kind of work, because obviously, I know the show in a different way. So this has been quite a nice thing, to be able to look at it from a very different angle as well.

Did Andrew give you any advice for the role?

Yeah, we’ve spoken! We’ve had moments. I definitely used his experience, and he's been very kind with me as well on his way out to make sure that I felt safe in the space, and I appreciate that a lot. 

Do you have any favourite memories from the show so far? 

I would say the rehearsal period of the show is definitely a highlight for me, just the way we all managed to bring this to life and to see that happen. And also to have the time! We were quite lucky to have the luxury of time when we did this - I think it was around a six-week rehearsal, which was a nice bit of time to do this justice. So I'd say the rehearsal period was probably my favourite bit, a real standout moment for me to get to know everybody and really see this start to evolve into what it is, into what people get to see.

What were rehearsals like for such a complicated show?

It's funny, because we all understood the concept, but not a lot of us had actually seen it happen before. So obviously, in rehearsals, we'd have tape on the floor that would resemble the movement of the lifts. It was all there, but it was still quite hard to really understand up until we got into the space and we saw the movements of the stage. It would just take time for us to really understand what was going to happen, so that was quite interesting, getting used to this space. But we were looked after very well, to the point when we did get into teching the show, it made perfect sense.

It was probably the smoothest teching experiences that I've had in any show that I've done yet! Most people would find that quite surprising because of it being quite demanding and different, but actually it was very smooth. We were very well looked after.

Have you been able to watch the show as an audience member?

Not in its totality, but yes, moments. It's mesmerising - you get lost into it very quickly. And actually, Nick would want to make sure that we go and used the space. Even during the show, he encouraged us to walk around the space and just watch what's going on. 

What do you hope that audiences take away from the show?

Ultimately, it really is a celebration of loving somebody and I feel like it creates a lot of good energy - people end up leaving feeling quite lifted. And it's funny! [Laughs] I think people tend to forget, but it's a fun show. There's also obviously moments of real sensitivity and you get to relate to a lot of moments, even though it's something that's been written such a long time ago. A few, fun, little tweaks have been made to make it feel much more fresh and current, but there's also a lot of relatability there.

And the main thing is that most people tend to want to come back and stand! [Laughs] That is definitely something that we've noticed as a team, that people definitely get jealous when they don’t stand, because you do end up seeing the people in the space. If you aren't brave enough the first time, you definitely want to do it the second time, so that is also something to remember!

Do you have a favourite line from the show?

One that always hits quite true to me is when Sky says, “Brothers and Sisters! Life is one big crap game, and the Devil is using loaded dice.” There's something about that that I feel is quite poignant, quite true.

And finally, how would you describe this production of Guys & Dolls in one word?

Honestly, I'd say revolutionary - I'd be brave enough to say that! I really believe it's created a very interesting way of approaching musical theatre that I hope we'll get to enjoy a lot more in the same kind of context. But I do believe that we hold something very interesting.

Guys & Dolls is currently running at the Bridge Theatre.

Production Photo Credits: Manuel Harlan