9to5 the Musical

Festival Theatre 
13 October to 5 November

In the same week that Julia Gillard’s famous speech ‘I Will Not be Lectured to by That Man…’ was being celebrated, people crowded into Festival Theatre to see the musical 9 to 5. That same  message was there, loud and clear. 

Three women, Violet, super efficient but often relegated to making coffee, Doralee, judged by her good looks to be no more than a sex symbol and Judy, nervous on her first day in a job for which she had no qualifications, now forced to work because her husband, Dick had proved to be just that and left her for his secretary, showed that they were not to be dictated to by the obnoxious CEO Franklin Hart. We can forget and forgive  the fourth woman, his PA Roz, so besottedly in love for him that she rejected the sisterhood, until finally seeing the light.

Carolyn O’Connor about to shed her repressed self

That is the story in a nutshell, introduced and narrated from time to time by Dolly Parton herself, beaming through the O of the title, in what could have seemed connived, but was in fact a delightful touch.

In this production we saw the cream of Australian theatre, showing why they deserve that accolade. Marina Pryor, Erin Clare and Casey Donovan each portrayed their characters to perfection, not forgetting Carolyn O’Connor, whose pas de deus with Eddie Perfect was a highlight of the show. 

Eddie Perfect personified the egotistical, brainless and lazy CEO. Left dangling, literally, through much of the show he finally gets his comeuppance, as he deserved. As he  also deserved the boos from some of the audience on opening night.

The ensemble, dancing with precision and energy added the finishing touches.

The message is there, but so coated in action, humour, sheer good fun and a happy ending that there is the sense that this is a feel good musical and a welcome respite from the troubles in the world today. 

Dolly Parton’s final message was: ‘If you like the show tell everybody. If you don’t, keep your mouth shut’. Judging from the applause and laughter in the audience the message will be loud and clear – it’s a great show, and a shame to miss it. 

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