Guys and Dolls hits the VIP jackpot

The Deputy Mayor of Medway Cllr Josie Iles and her husband Steve were among those in attendance for the Performing Arts end-of-term show, which was preceded by a red carpet reception in the Medway Campus pavilion.

Hospitality & Catering students served drinks and canapés to the invited guests, who were welcomed to the event by the College’s own team of Frontliners.

Performing Arts lecturer Myles Stinton said he was proud of those who took part in the show.

“It was very different in style but the students worked hard and lived up to the high expectations they have set for themselves,” he added.

“Guys & Dolls is more of an old-fashioned Broadway musical than last year’s end-of-term show Les Miserables, but we went for a change in genre because we wanted to show how adaptable and talented the students are.”

The original Guys & Dolls musical – based on two short stories written by Damon Runyon – premiered on Broadway in 1950 and has been revived many times over the decades.

Telling the tale of the gangsters, gamblers and other characters of the New York underworld, the production even spawned a 1955 film adaptation starring the likes of Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra.

Myles – a former West End musical director – said he believed many of his students have what it takes to form a career in the industry.

“They have all shown the stamina required, it’s just whether they have the grit and determination to go forward,” he added.

“You never know who is going to make it because it’s a dog-eat-dog world out there, but they’ve certainly given themselves every chance to succeed.”

MidKent College offers a number of courses in Performing Arts including separate pathways in acting, dance and musical theatre.

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For all media enquiries, please contact Steve Knight, Marketing and Communications Officer, on 01634 383277 or email steve.knight@midkent.ac.uk.