Review: 9 to 5 the Musical at Wales Millennium Centre
Last night I headed to Cardiff Bay to review 9 to 5 the Musical at Wales Millennium Centre. Read on to see what I thought of the show…
Review: 9 to 5 the Musical at Wales Millennium Centre
Having never seen the original movie with Dolly Parton, I was unsure what to expect from the show. I went in entirely open minded without anything to prejudge it against which was nice.
Upon entering the theatre hall I was wowed by the stage already! A huge “9 to 5” structure stood proudly at centre stage with a huge alarm clock as the “o”. As the show kicked off, Dolly’s face appeared in the clock and she introduced the show. It was such a surprise and a nice touch having Dolly there, and when she kicked off singing the ‘9 to 5’ song I knew this was going to be a fun show.
The 9 to 5 structure rose up above the stage but stayed in sight so that Dolly could introduce the main characters before it disappeared for the show ton continue.
Caroline Sheen played Violet Newstead, a middle manager in an office keen to climb the company ladder. She was strong willed and very driven but was always over looked because she was a woman. Her story was so believable even in this day and age where women are often over looked and under paid due to outdated thinking and ‘boys club’ mentality. Her character grew on me throughout the performance as she opened up more showing more strength and determination. She sung beautifully with passion and emotion and her portrayal of the character was very believable.
Judy Bernly was performed by Amber Davies, a previous Love Island winner and X Factor finalist from North Wales. As soon as she took to the stage, her presence could be felt! Her vocal power was insane and there were moments throughout the show where I was so drawn in to her performance that I thought I was part of it. Like Violet, her character grew throughout the show, beginning as a young timid woman who had been abandoned by her cheating husband to a strong independent woman, capable of taking care of herself, both financially and on a day to day basis.
Dolly’s character Doralee Rhodes will always be a tough pair of shoes to fill as she is such a legend, but Georgina Castle took the challenge and did such an amazing job. The character is bubbly, feisty and despite her looks (as she says) is very intelligent and is certainly not a woman to be trifled with. Hr husband supports her 100% and she does not take any of her boss’s flirting and inappropriate behaviour well. The final straw is drawn when she finds out that his arrogance has led to him bragging around the office that he had slept with her, which she most definitely hadn’t, and she let loose! Georgina played the character so well, skipping around the stage in those heels and singing her heart out at every opportunity, she truly wowed me. I imagine she would also make a fabulous Audrey in The Little Shop of Horrors!
Lucinda Lawrence played Roz Keith, the only one in the office who actually liked (loved) the boss! She was fiery and fierce throughout, her obsession with the boss blatantly obvious from the moment she entered the set! She was like a saucy librarian, hiding a provocative undergarment beneath her sharp pressed suit dress! I felt a bit sorry for her as she truly loved the boss but of course he did not want anything to do with her and often made gagging gestures regarding her. She was extremely loyal and often found herself getting shipped about to keep her out of the way, poor Roz.
Sean Needham played the boss Franklin Hart Jnr so well! His comedy timing was spot on and although his character was an egotistical, misogamist, scum bag, I did have a bit of a soft spot for him towards the end as he was written and played so well! His voice was very classic rock n roll, very bluesy and country all at the same time and it was a nice contrast to the women’s voices which were obviously more prominent throughout the show. The scene leading into the interval was perfect, his downfall beginning and the women taking charge, leaving him ‘hanging around’.
The rest of the cast were so good and their movements around the stage were smooth and fluid-like. They swam around backing up the rest of the performers and sweeping the set pieces around for all the changes with such style.
The set was fantastic too! I am a big fan of everything 80s and even though it felt like it had a bit of a modern edge, it definitely felt like the 80s too. The computer-lights around the outside were so retro and helped to change the mood throughout the show as they changed colours and flashed a lot. I really loved the monitors at the back, they constantly changed the back of the set to be a multitude of different things and really helped to bind the set and scene every time they changed.
I truly loved my time watching the show at Wales Millennium Centre, as my first time finding anything out about 9 to 5 it really made me smile from ear to ear! The mix of comedy, dance, visuals and song was perfect and I fell like I need to go away and watch the original movie now with Dolly! If you want a show that will make you smile, sing and bop along while still giving you a hearty story, then 9 to 5 is definitely for you!
I hope you’ve enjoyed my review of 9 to 5 the Musical at Wales Millennium Centre. Let us know what you thought of the show in the comments below!
Zoey xxx
