How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying

This musical has not been performed in the area for quite a number of years and it is the first time I have seen it.  I loved the set; it was very well thought out and even appeared to have a working lift!   Of course we knew that this was not actually the case but the illusion that was created was maintained by the cast throughout the production and added to the interesting levels of the set. It must have been very tricky keeping track of everything in rehearsals but the end product demonstrated that this society has some highly experienced performers.

Every single member of the cast had their characters and it was a joy to watch the various performers playing their part from the bored secretary to the ‘hands on’ manager and every nuance in between.   The Director, Nina Jarram, had clearly given a lot of thought to how each individual was portrayed and the cast, without exception, gave extremely good performances.

It is always hard to single out specific performers and with this company it was even more difficult than usual.  Allister Smith (J Pierrepoint Finch) was excellent and Juliet Thomas (his besotted girlfriend Rosemary) gave a very good ingénue performance.  Martin Harris (Biggley) Louise Byrne (Smitty) and Lisa Harris (Miss Jones) all gave excellent interpretations of their individual characters.  All the other principal characters played their parts well but I would give a special mention to Jordan Cox who played the weasely Bud Frump with great style and attention to detail.  His facial expressions were a joy to watch as his plans crumbled around him.

Although based on a book written in the early 1950s and originally performed at the beginning of the 60’s, this show translates very well into current time and the costumes reflected this.   The sound was well managed and the band supported the singers well.  The lighting was excellent and contributed to the action when required.

I can understand why this show is not performed more often, even in this theatre and on a Saturday evening, there were a few empty seats.   This is such a shame as this company has an excellent track record of performing ‘different’ musicals and full credit to them for seeking out something unusual and challenging.

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to this production, well done Brentwood Operatic.

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