Guys and Dolls - Paris

A little clip of the bows from Friday's show - Guess who led the ovation Lol!

The stalls as we know them are divided in to two - Orchestre Pair and Orchestre Impair. Numbering starts from the centre So the centre Seat is Orchestre Impair 01 and Orchestre pair 02. Running from these centre seats as you look at the stage (scene) they run to the right 02 04 06 08 etc and to the left 01 03 05 07 etc. The front row is BB there is no AA and then runs back A B C etc.
Seats to avoid - although in the centre avoid BB 01 03 02 04 as leg room is very tight due to the conductor and the curve in the centre of the pit. From 06 onwards and 05 onwards you get a lot of leg room. The stage is not very high so get a great view like 42nd St. One other thing to avoid are the small chairs at the end of the aisle sold seat number but with an s next to it, they are most peculiar. Hope this helps?

Enjoy! It really was a good show. Look out for Adam in Havana, oh boy can he twerk x

Just had an email (in French) to say this has been cancelled, which rather puts a damper on my trip tomorrow.

There is some method that I haven't yet figured out to apply for a refund, minus any fees.

Hope you enjoy x

Why was it cancelled? Yellow Vest protest may be or just not sold? It was horrendous a few weeks ago.

Just has it confirmed that the matinee is cancelled as a result of the Rio so please be careful. They also close a lot of the metro so you could end up walking a fair distance so allow plenty of time.

Thanks stageyqueen. Thankfully I decided to stay centrally so can walk everywhere.

Hopefully the riots won’t be too disruptive. I seem to have a habit of ending up in the centre of them whenever I travel in Europe.

So long as the evening show happens with minimal disruption, that will be fine.

I was right in the heart of it just off the Champs Elysee, it was scary. Do let me know your thoughts on the show x

Back at the hotel. A very good show and recommended, but I’d avoid Paris on weekends while this series of riots is going on. Not good for the blood pressure.

Try weekdays if possible.

As well as losing the afternoon, the evening saw a load of roads to pedestrians and armed police patrolling. After the show saw a different set of road closures. Few people are keen to speak English (and my French isn’t great), that even includes those working in a theatre with English language performances.

Watch out for the silent electric scooters, which are everywhere and popular with those out on a Saturday evening.

One tip. The Louvre is free after 6pm on the first Saturday of the month, so I fit in a quick trip. The main security queue was about 2 hours long, but there’s another queue underground that was only about 20 minutes. Get there a few minutes before 6 to clear security before the free period starts.

Anyway, onto the theatre.

First, surprised how little security there was compared to a London theatre. But it’s rather a fringe venue.

Most of the audience are French, so they mostly take seats further back where they can read the surtitles. It’s a strange experience to watch, not all the jokes translate and for those that do, they must read the punchlines a few seconds everyone else.

Ended up in seat BB7, which must be the best place in the building for the English speaking. Central, but the first seat with extended legroom. Very low stage.

Had an English mother and daughter next to me who didn’t seem to want to be there, despite the tickets being over £100 each. The mother fell asleep several times, including on the shoulder of the daughter, which must have really ruined the view of those behind. The French were perfectly behaved.

There is no tipping the ushers in this theatre when they show you to your seat. I tried and was turned down. Unusual for French theatres where it’s usually expected.

About five minutes after the show was due to start, they moved a load of people to fill the front Stalls. So may well be worth trying your luck on a cheaper ticket.

An excellent cast, especially the leads. I recognised most of the ensemble from roles in UK productions. Just got to work out who they all were.

I rather got the feeling I was recognised, but there you go.

Adam Denman’s twerking was great. I’ve seen a few productions of Guys and Dolls and I’m sure they managed to fit more dancing in this than normal.

Also really sounded like Sky called Sarah “Sawyer” at one point!

A lot of energy and excellent vocals.

I’d happily go again in the summer if I could find a cheap way to do it, but Paris isn’t a cheap trip the way the exchange rate is right now and that could get worse. What would be ideal would be to transport the theatre and show to London.

If you are able to combine this with an already planned trip to Paris, you can’t go far wrong. Better than most of the shows on in London at the moment.

Apparently this is closing almost 2 months early. It is sad for the cast and crew. I assume the troubles in Paris at the weekends must be putting off tourists.

I am gutted about this, really wanted to visit.