Review: 9 to 5 The Musical, Acorn Theatre

Based on the 1980 film starring Dolly Parton herself, 9 to 5 the Musical tells the story of three oppressed female office workers turning the tables on their misogynistic boss.

The show opens with an audio recording of Dolly Parton explaining we are in 1979 and equality is still a long way off. The opening number introduces all the principal characters and sets the scene well. It is toe-tapping and vibrant with excellent harmony work from the whole cast. The Acorn Theatre stage is very small and there is even less room for intricate choreography with the constraints of this relatively large set. With so many in such limited available space, it does sometimes look a little cluttered up there.

The three leading ladies, Violet, Judy and Doralee are each excellently played by Zoe Nelson, Ruth Lockwood and Fern van der Vliet. They are all accomplished vocalists and their very different characters complement each other perfectly.

Doralee is the Dolly Parton character and van der Vliet fully captures the essence of Parton. Her southern American drawl and soaring vocals are spot on, especially in ‘Backwoods Barbie’ and ‘Change It’. Lockwood as Judy has a powerful singing voice. Her second half solo ‘Get Out and Stay Out’ is a total showstopper, perfectly detailing Judy’s development from rejected housewife to independent single woman. Lockwood’s comic touches in the role are also delightful.

Violet is an ambitious office supervisor unable to break through the glass ceiling many women face. Nelson captures her resulting world-weary sardonic persona perfectly. As she begins to make progress, she sings ‘One of the Boys’. It is an entertaining song and dance number, but it also gives the mixed message that Violet must become one of the boys to progress; she can’t do it as a woman.

As the sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical, bigoted boss Franklin Hart, David Warren is wonderfully loathsome. He sees himself as God’s gift to women while lusting after Doralee. These scenes are a little uncomfortable to watch in 2025. Warren performs ‘Here For You’ excellently, but the sleaze is somewhat overdone for this reviewer.

Hart’s assistant, Roz, has a huge crush on him and Jo Dewberry is hilarious in the role, especially in her comedy number ‘Heart to Hart’ with female ensemble members appearing in Roz wigs, all equally infatuated. When Hart flees on seeing Roz stripped to her full support bra and big pants she gets the biggest laugh of the night.

Violet’s love interest, Joe, is endearingly played by Tom Garnett and his duet with her is very sweet. Amy Coxhill amuses as office lush Margaret and her transformation following treatment for her alcoholism is well portrayed.

The hard-working ensemble is kept very busy in this production and they ‘Shine like the Sun’, to quote one of the show’s numbers. They are office workers, cowboys/girls, gangsters, hospital workers, animal puppeteers, sometimes with very quick changes. They also manage multiple set changes in some very tight spaces, though it is clearly difficult for them on occasion.

This is a feel-good jukebox musical with the inevitable happy ending outlined in a retrospective montage. Hart’s demise is a little over the top, but is carried along by the spirit of the show created by Director Matt Roddis and Musical Director Pete Lack. This is an enjoyable production from this talented amateur society, once again proving that quality theatre can be produced by people doing it just because they love it.

Produced by Worksop Musical Theatre Society
Music and lyrics by Dolly Parton
Book by Patricia Resnick
Directed and Choreographed by Matt Roddis
Musical Direction by Pete Lack

9 To 5 The Musical plays at the Acorn Theatre until Saturday 8 November