Doing the business

I was in a troubled mood when I sat down to watch Guys and Dolls and, alas, it didn’t do much to raise my spirits. Before I started reviewing plays four years ago, I had no time for musicals. I have a tin ear for music and almost no visual sense, and the only pleasure I derived from going to the theatre was literary. For me, the characters and the plot were the thing and any musical interludes were an irritating distraction. But seeing Trevor Nunn’s production of South Pacific changed all that. For the first time, I experienced the ecstasy that a really good musical can produce. During Nellie’s showstopper — ‘I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair’ — I had a giddy, almost floating sensation. It was pure, exhilarating joy, not dissimilar to a crack high, and I instantly became addicted. Now, when I go to a musical, I’m hoping to re-experience that high.