Does anyone have an idea about how I might be able to get my hands on the play script of Guys and Dolls? It’s for academic reasons, not for a performance, but the only place I can find that seems to have it is MTI, which licenses scripts for performance and will I presume be quite expensive.
I’m in London (UK), if that matters.
I don’t know if this might help, but here is the movie script: http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/g/guys-and-dolls-script-transcript.html
Whenever I need a script, The Drama Book Shop in NYC is the place to go.
There’s three pages of results in that link; you may consider phoning them for your particular request.
Oops, just noticed that you’re in the UK. Maybe email them and ask if they can help you locate a copy where you are.
MTI, on the site you linked to, states that it makes up to three titles available as “perusal” copies. Most places that license the rights for plays and musicals have a similar policy so that people can read a copy of the show before deciding whether or not they want to license it for actual performance.
I think the UK equivalent is the Internet Theatre Bookshop.
The OP should be aware that for musicals, the script and the sheet music are usually distributed separately. Amazon UK has several versions.
IDK, and am in the US, but FWIW the first thing I’d try is asking at my local public library for assistance, they have access to all sorts of materials via interlibrary loan etc.
Samuel French has a London store. They would have a copy if anybody would.
But Music Theatre International licenses the show, not French. Which is probably why SecondJudith can only find it there. But she might try contacting the link in anson2995’s post, which seems to be the UK equivalent to the Drama Book Shop in NY.
Theatre critic Eric Bentley put out a multivolume work called The Modern Theatre. Volume 4 includes Guys and Dolls. If your local library doesn’t have it or can’t get it, I noticed used copies on Amazon are going quite cheaply, though I suspect shipping will be a large percentage of the price you pay.
Oh brilliant, thank you Julius Henry! I’ve ordered a copy from Amazon, where happily there was one on Amazon UK for just 1p plus £2.80 shipping - I can’t imagine the condition is very good but the text is what matters. If it turns out to be actively unreadable I’ll get in touch with the bookshop anson2995 mentions. Indeed, it’s been a bit frustrating as the vocal score is extremely easy to find, but I haven’t been able to get my hands on the text anywhere!
I’ll be recieving a copy of the movie tomorrow, love that show.
What are you studying with the script?
Just looking at stage adaptations of relatively contemporaneous literature in the 1940s and 50s, especially ones with a lot of slang or vernacular - the Damon Runyan stories are easy enough to get hold of, and I particularly like that the Penguin edition has a photo of Marlon Brando as Sky Masterson looking smug on the cover. 
Guys and Dolls is interesting as the characters do not use any contractions in their speech, a fact I find annoying as hell when I watch the movie.
Great soundtrack, though.
Just to say this came in the post yesterday and does indeed have the play script as promised (the copy I ordered didn’t have any information on the contents, so I was going on faith). Thank you again for the suggestion!
Moving to Cafe Society.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
“What’s playing at the Roxy?”