Despite a head cold that had me supping on the gin and Lemsip, Liam managed to get me to Dolly Parton’s ‘9 to 5’ at the Theatre Royal, Norwich. Adapted from the 1980 movie comedy starring Dolly, Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda, ‘9 to 5’ is a high-energy musical farce about three overworked and overlooked female office workers exacting delicious revenge on their lazy, lecherous, sexist, misogynistic boss. We had terrific seats for a terrific show with some terrific tunes and terrific lines (“You’re just a typewriter with tits.”). Amy Lennox* was uncanny in the Dolly role. If you closed your eyes, you’d think it was the chesty chanteuse on stage. Natalie Casey as Jane Fonda was superb with sharp comic timing and a tremendous voice. Slightly more disappointing was Jackie Clune in the Lily Tomlin part; a few more dance lessons might help. Veteran trouper, Bonnie Langford, almost stole the show in her supporting role as the boss’s fawning assistant. Bonnie can throw her legs higher and wider than anyone I’ve ever seen on stage, screen or porn flick. The gorgeous Dolly has quite a following among the gay fraternity and the audience was liberally sprinkled with fairy dust, including the man next to me whose shocking hair don’t would have him run out of Soho. Dolly herself appeared as narrator on a large clock-faced screen above the stage. Saying “thank you” to Norwich was a nice touch and Dolly brought the house down when she launched into the familiar ‘9 to 5’ theme at the end.
*We saw the talented Amy Lennox in ‘Soho Cinders’ last summer and she was superb in that too.
Take it away Dolly…
Wow. Are all movies coming back as musicals? Seems so. Glad the production was enjoyable.
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Often it’s the other way round. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. This one works, I’m pleased to say!
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So jealous! I loved this movie.
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I’m sure it’ll do the rounds back on your side of the pond some time soon.
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I loved this film – not much chance of me catching the musical though.
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You never know. It’s touring. It might make it to Bodrum 😉
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I love that movie and that song is brilliant
…tumble outta bed and stumble to the kitchen, pour myself a cup of ambition…
Dolly is genius!
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She certainly is 🙂
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I saw it in Edinburgh Jack, even my picky musician friend with the highly tuned musical ear, who went along with us complimented the musical score. It was just really good fun and I agree that Bonnie stole the show. Wonderful, so glad you enjoyed it, it appears very under-rated, compared to other musicals doing the rounds but it is one of the best, even to us that are a bit less “fabulous”. xxx
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I hope it makes it to the West End. It certainly deserves to. I stepped out with a Scot for eights years and I think you’re all fabulous!
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. . used to love Dolly, a real ‘what you see is what you get’ lady – then I learned she was married to a banker. Could have forgiven her anything but that!
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My best friend’s married to a banker. I warmed to him in the end 😉
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I’ve always loved Dolly Parton. Her incredibly curvaceous figure has always fascinated me!! Sounds like a lot of fun…
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It was enormous fun. I’m not sure Dolly’s curves are entirely natural 🙂
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You’re probably right!!
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