Guys and Dolls, Northgate High School Performing Arts Centre, Sidegate Lane West Ipswich, until Saturday.THIS musical is one of the classics of the 20th Century, and the guys and dolls of Northgate High School certainly do it justice.

Guys and Dolls, Northgate High School Performing Arts Centre, Sidegate Lane West Ipswich, until Saturday.

THIS musical is one of the classics of the 20th Century, and the guys and dolls of Northgate High School certainly do it justice.

Atop an impressive set that uses the full height of the Performing Arts Centre, the large and lusty band, under the direction of Richard Healey, brings us such great numbers as "Luck be a Lady" and "Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat".

Below, a young, well-drilled and talented cast act out the lives and loves of the delightful, if odd-ball inhabitants of Damon Runyon's Broadway.

The whole company adopts the 1950s idiom with real style, but special mention must go to the two central couples.

As Sky Masterson, the cool gambler about town and Miss Sarah Brown, the prim Salvationist, Lewis Copland and Rachel Foskett make a truly romantic couple.

Daniel James, as Nathan Detroit, desperate to find a location for his illegal crap game, shows real comic flair, and Michelle Moore, who plays Miss Adelaide, Nathan's long suffering fiancée, besides being deliciously funny, sings and dances superbly.

The musical numbers are all excellently staged, especially the Havana number, and amongst the smaller roles, Nick James has genuine authority as the interfering cop and Andrew Leigh, as Arvide, sings with a touching simplicity.

The guys and dolls sing of reaching for stars in the sky - there are stars aplenty at Northgate this week.