9 to 5

9 to 5 the Musical tells the story of three workmates pushed to extreme lengths by their sexist and egotistical boss. With music and lyrics by the great Dolly Parton, she starts off proceedings on a big screen above the stage, introducing the three leading ladies. And what amazing leading ladies they were; all three gave superb performances.

The hard-working Violet, was outstanding. Her vocals were sublime and she delivered her dialogue with humour and pace. Her opening number ‘Around here’ had a great energy, but she proved she could also perform poignant songs during her beautiful duet with Joe ‘Let love grow’.

Doralee had the perfect Texan accent and personality for the Dolly Parton character. She also had fabulous vocals and really shone in her country number ‘Blackwoods Barbie’.

Lastly, Judy nailed the sensitivity of the character left heartbroken by her wayward ex-husband. Her number ‘Get out and stay out’ was undoubtedly one of the stand out numbers of the show, with beautiful dynamics.

The egotistical boss, Hart, was brilliantly played.. He was not afraid to really go all out as the misogynistic businessman. His song ‘Here for you’ was hilarious and sleazy in equal measure and very much played for laughs.

More comedy was provided by his PA Roz, who was simply outrageous in her number ‘Heart to Hart’. The fact that her real-life husband was playing Hart certainly helped her lack of inhibitions but she proved herself a very confident and experienced performer. Simply fabulous!

Supporting roles were also very good, most notably Joe who sang a beautiful duet with Violet, ‘Let love grow’, providing a surprisingly tender moment in an otherwise fast paced show. Josh, Dick and Dwayne completed this very strong lineup of local talent.

The ensemble was well rehearsed and had some interesting and creative choreography provided by Lizzie. The chorus numbers had a good energy and were performed accurately with some effective arm lines. I particularly enjoyed the big production number ‘One of the boys’ where the full cast dazzled in a very stylish tap number.

Harmonies were equally well rehearsed and the cast well supported by the slick and punchy orchestra under the direction of James.

Direction was in safe hands with Tristan, who really understands how to ramp up the humour in a script. With such a strong group of principals, he was able to add lots of detail to highlight every joke with a visual gag.

The hired set was very effective and the scene changes efficient.  Costumes, hair and makeup too were excellent. Although there were a few issues with the quick changes on opening night, I’m sure these teething troubles will have been ironed out as the run progressed. Lighting was a little dark on occasions, with only side lights being used, and the sound balance meant that the chorus could not always be heard. However, this did not distract from a really excellent production and I’m sure will have been rectified for later performances. 

This was a hugely enjoyable and polished production with standout performances by all of the principals. 

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