REVIEW | How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Southwark Playhouse
Photo Credit: Pamela Raith★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Reviewer - Penny
*Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review
Written in 1961 by Frank Loesser, Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is the story of the ambitious young J Pierrepont Finch who, following the guidance in a self-help book, attempts to scale the corporate ladder. Although it won multiple awards, including seven prestigious Tonys, and was adapted into a film in 1967, the show is not as well known or well loved as Loesser and Burrows’ other collaboration, Guys and Dolls, which is currently enjoying a critically acclaimed run at London’s Bridge Theatre.
Although it is set in the corporate America of the early 60s, plenty of the show’s themes are depressingly relevant today – in the huge World Wide Wicket Company, nobody really knows what anybody else is doing, some staff members don’t even know what they should be doing, there’s no place for women in the boardroom (unless they are there to take dictation), executives trade meaningless jargon in pointless meetings and success is all about who you know. Thankfully the script is very funny and the songs are catchy and hugely entertaining, poking fun at the machinations of the corporate world.
Despite this, there is a real risk that this show could appear hugely dated in the wrong hands. Again, thankfully director Georgia Rankcom knows exactly what to do with the show and has managed to squeeze every bit of comedy out of it, giving us a production with excellent pace, character and a creative staging that perfectly fits the small space available to them.
Sophia Pardon’s set is dominated by a neon ladder that stretches up to the ceiling. A purple/pink colour palette gives a 60s pop art feel to the stage with multiple drawers storing props. Stage furniture is minimal with basic desks, office chairs and clever use of a step ladder which serves as a boardroom table or for the cast to climb when they need to sing out above the rest of the company or make a declaration of love!
There is not a weak link in the ensemble cast of ten – it’s a fantastic representation of diverse talent. Although women at the World Wide Wicket Company are supposed to adhere to 60s stereotypes, Rankcom has swapped the gender for the two leading male characters with Finch and company President J. B. Bigley played by Gabrielle Friedman and Tracie Bennett. This works brilliantly, and you could either see it as a comment on women in the workplace infiltrating the old boys’ network, or just accept that these two performers are perfectly cast and utterly convincing in the roles.
As Finch, Friedman manages to give us a character who is full of single-minded ambition, putting his career progression above the people he cares about, but ultimately still making the character likeable and charming.
Tracie Bennett shows us exactly why she is such a theatrical force to be reckoned with. Her characterisation of the grumpy, dodgy corporate fat cat is outstanding – from her physicality to her perfect comic timing and powerful gravelly vocals that are perfectly suited to Bigley’s pompous and self-aggrandizing musical numbers.
The female characters are more than equal to their male counterparts. The part of Rosemary Pilkington, a secretary whose sole ambition appears to be becoming the neglected wife of a businessman, could easily be portrayed as a weak, shrinking violet. Allie Daniel however injects the role with strength and humour, having the audience in stitches with her brilliant facial expressions and offering beautiful, clear vocals that perfectly suit these classic musical theatre songs.
Playing the seductive glamour girl Hedy La Rue, Annie Aitkin oozes sex appeal without making her character a one dimensional stereotype. She is feisty, funny and demonstrates her fabulous operatic range in a hilarious duet with Bigley.
Everybody in the cast has a moment to shine and they all take full advantage of it. The stand out performance for me was from Elliot Gooch as Bud Frump, Bigley’s nephew who is employed because of nepotism and not ability. Gooch made the most of every single line, flouncing on and off the stage like a scheming diva in a suit.
With simple but effective choreography from Alexzandra Sarmiento and Musical Director Natalie Pound’s excellent six piece band sounding as if they’re straight out of the 60s, this is a fun, feel-good evening of entertainment that will resonate with anybody who has ever worked in an office, or anybody who is glad they have never worked in an office. Although the show is quite long, the first act is an hour and a half, it never drags and none of the content feels superfluous.
So, if you would like a lesson on how to succeed in staging a successful musical, get yourself down to the Southwark Playhouse and enjoy this absolute masterclass.
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying runs until 17th June 2023. You can find out more and book tickets on the Southwark Playhouse website.
