9 to 5 musical

Went to see 9 to 5 the musical in York, Yorkshire, last night. I’ve done musicals up hill and down dale I’ve seen thousands from local to West End and even a couple on Broadway (NY). It was superb. Bonnie Langford (who played the creep of a secretary, Roz, who fancied the boss) was unbelievable. Can’t believe she’s older than me with that physique. Her legs were up and down and round her neck as if a pre-​teen. Her singing was fab and US accent also pulled off well. The lady who played the ‘Dolly Parton’ part, Doralee (Amy Lennox), was astounding. I’ve never heard such a tricky accent (including belting out songs in the same accent) done so well. Her mannerisms and everything were simply spot on. It had a great mix of dialogue and singing and therefore a good choice for those that aren’t big stage musical goers. The real Dolly Parton (on film) appeared at appropriate intervals to give you the plot and this worked really well I thought. The story (three office girls plotting to overthrow their sleazy crook of a boss) kept you equally interested. Unlike shows such as Billy Elliott, it had no specific wow factor on the dancing front however (apart from a number by Bonnie Langford), but the quality of singing made up for that. Also, the scenery and sets were minimalistic. The comedy element really worked however and it made the audience laugh where I was meant to. It’s well worth a visit. I’m still trying to shed the ‘working nine to five what a way to make a living’ melody from my head!