9 to 5

I can feel myself grinning as I type this, memories of that evening will stay with me and lift my spirits for quite some time.  9 to 5 is one of those musicals that make you smile almost before anything happens.  The script is crazy and rich with humour, every word counts, and every word could be heard.  Although the situations were crazy, they were played for real.  The casting was inspired, the characters were so believable that it was easy to sympathise with the girls' plight.   The actor playing Franklin Hart Jnr was fearless and hilarious, he did not hold back, nothing timid about this portrayal !   The three girls, Violet, Doralee and Judy,  pushed to the edge by their unspeakably horrendous boss plotted to overthrow him.   The scenes once they had outwitted Hart and were holding him captive were side-splittingly funny.    The strait-laced personal assistant Roz' adoration of him made a fabulous contrast to the attitude of the three girls.  

The musical numbers were lovely and great fun.   The singing by the lead characters and the ensemble was glorious.  Dancing and movement suited the story ideally and was well performed.  There was not a chorus but instead different characters who added depth, interest, and amusement to the proceedings.  From the company workers to the main support roles everyone portrayed realistic characters as demanded by the director.

The band was magnificent.  A gorgeous strong sound and the texture of the different instruments could still be appreciated and enjoyed.  Although the music needs to be loud the quality of the sound system and the clarity of the voices allowed the audience to laugh and enjoy the many moments of comedy.

This society is known for excellent sets which are designed and constructed by members of the society.  This was elaborate in an entirely relevant way and the necessary changes of scene might have distracted the audience had not little cameo moments made them imperceptible.    The audience was engrossed in the action without hindrance.  The stage crew was made from members who on another occasion might be taking the lead,  but as they were not in this production it was natural for them to do whatever job was needed

The costumes were well planned and ideally suited to the different characters.  Doralee's gorgeous and rather revealing frocks were perfect for the "Dolly Parton" character.  They were worn with innocence because Doralee liked to look nice, seemingly unaware of the effect they were having.

Lighting was good, it was in experienced hands and enhanced the production.

One thing that stood out was that this very talented company of friends were loving every minute of the performance.  There was energy and pace and the evening was over before we realised.

If there was concern that audiences would be slow to return to live theatre this production of 9 to 5 has helped to show that is not so, the auditorium was pretty crowded, and the audience was eager to be entertained.  Congratulations to EMCo for a hilariously entertaining performance.

 

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