MUSICAL REVIEW: 9 to 5 the Musical ★★★

9 to 5 the Musical
Savoy Theatre, London
28th January - 31st August 2019

Based on the 1980 hit movie featuring Dolly Parton herself, 9 to 5 the musical focuses tells the story of three remarkable and determined women who decide to overpower their male and misogynistic boss when they believe to have accidently of poisoned him one day in the office.

Natalie Mcqueen, Louise Redknapp and Amber Davies star in this mesmerising and glitzy production as Doralee Rhodes, Violet Newstead, and Judy Bernly. Out of three three main performers, and our equal protagonists in the production, Natalie Mcqueen is the one who completely embodies and shines the brightest on stage with such stunning characteristic and comic timing, which can be equally challenged by from Bonnie Langford who is side-splittingly hilarious as Roz Keith, the administrative assistant to Franklin Hart Jnr (Brian Conley). Langford steals every scene where she appears and her number in the first act, Heart to Hart, had the audience in raptures of applause and screaming with laughter, which you can see Langford relishing every moment of that scene.

Amber Davies also delivers a stellar performance as newcomer Judy Bernly to the Consolidated Companies empire, headed by Hart. Davies brings a vulnerability to the role and is more subtle in the execution compared to Mcqueen and Redknapp. Davies’ complex and layered performance as Judy comes crashing down beautifully in the climax of her character arc strand with the power ballad ‘Get out and Stay Out’ in the latter parts of the second act, which brought tears and shivers to myself and many of those around me grabbing for the tissues.

Jeff Calhoun’s directions is slick and precise which keeps the whole production running like clockwork and beautiful intertwines itself with with Lisa Stevens’ choreography which is integral to the scene transitions, with not a beat or plot device not missed or left behind. Nina Dunn must though be given a special recognition though in this whole production for what is truly captivating video design which allows Dolly Parton to be alive in the auditorium with the audience, which also capturing beautifully the skyline of the city which watches over Consolidated Companies, and the televisual screens around the proscenium arch that display appropriate and realistic machinery, especially in the scenes inside of the hospital.

Overall, with Music and Lyrics written especially for this show by Dolly Parton herself, combined with Patricia Resnick’s Book, which pushes the thought of female empowerment to it’s forefront, audiences will whip up and get served a rip-roaring and delightful night at the theatre which’ll leave you with a huge smile on your face.