New Victoria Theatre – until 5th February 2022
Reviewed by Elizabeth J Smith
4****
9 to 5 is Dolly Parton’s musical adaptation of the hugely successful 1978 film of the same name.
It is based on the real life experiences of women working in an office run by a tyrannical boss who has a misogynistic attitude to all his female employees and what can happen when the worm turns.
Although this is a highly sensitive subject in the real world even 30 years on from the original film this show gives a serious subject a humorous out come on how women can overcome such repression.
The three main characters are all very different women who are trying to make their way in a male dominated business environment.
Where sexiest jokes and inappropriate banter is accepted as the norm for all female employees.
But when the matriarch Violet Newstead is over looked for promotion, once again, by a chap she trained in the first place, Doralee Rhodes finds out no likes her because the boss has told everyone that she is sleeping with him and Judy Bernly realises she has wasted her entire adult life, she’s only 21, on a man that up and left when a younger model comes along, all hell breaks loose.
The three woman plot to bring down their boss and they do in spectacular fashion and in doing so fix all that is wrong in the work place.
Claire Sweeney, Violet Newstead, plays the somewhat solemn character trying to raise her teenage son after the death of her beloved husband and trying to ignore her attraction to a young kind accountant who obviously loves her. Her portrayal is mature and self assured. Her final number ,One of the boys, shows a woman fulfilled. All her ambitions achieved and your heart sores for her triumph.
Vivan Panka, Judy Bernly, portrays a sweet innocence women trying to find her feet without a man to lean on. Her voice is sublime and brings tears to your eyes when she sings “get out stay out” with the passion of woman who has found herself.
Stephanie Chandos, Doralee Rhodes. Fills the stage with her feminine wiles, tittering on the highest of heels and tightest of dresses she is every part woman, but don’t judge the book by the cover, she is feisty and means business, as “Backwoods Barbie” explains.
And so the boss, Sean Needham, Franklin Hart Jnr. What a chauvinistic pig, but with such charm that the women in the audience fell for him. He is rude and amusing all at once.
The romantic dream scene with Roz, Julia J Nagle, and Franklin bought the house down with the comic choreography, so well acted out you could feel the sexual tension Roz has for Franklin.
The ensemble all gave outstanding performances in dance, singing and character interpretation. With stand out performances from Sonny Grieveson, Bob, and Ross lee Fowkes, Dick. Both one of the boys!
The orchestra conducted by Dean Mcdermott were fabulous and the theatre rocked to the music.
The choreography by Lisa Stevens really gave the impression of rush hour and a busy working office.
So tumble out of bed, take a spoon full of sweet and low in your coffee and get your self down to the New Victoria Theatre for an evening of pure escapism and dream that we could all kidnap our bosses and hold them to ransom to make the world a better place