DOLLY Parton’s hit song 9 to 5 was not only the theme song for the box office hit film, it also provided the big number for 9 to 5 The Musical, which is the winter 2024 choice for Bath Operatic and Dramatic Society at the Theatre Royal Bath from Tuesday 27th February to Saturday 2nd March.
The award-winning amateur theatre company has a large cast of local talent ready to make the most of Dolly Parton’s brilliant score, telling the story of three workmates pushed to boiling point by their sexist and egotistical boss. Concocting a plan to kidnap and turn the tables on their despicable supervisor, the show charts their roller-coaster ride to reform their office.
The cast of 35 local performers, aged from 16 to 71 years, who hail from Bath, Bristol, Wiltshire, Somerset and Gloucestershire, is headed by Sabrina Messer, Hannah Graham and Kate Lodite as Violet, Doralee and Judy. Real-life married couple, Pip and Jane Knowles, play the chauvinist boss, Franklin Hart, and his ever-attentive assistant, Roz.
Established in 1894, and originally called Bath Amateurs, Bath Operatic and Dramatic Society’s (BODS) illustrious history includes Rose Bowl Awards for Best Choreography for West Side Story in 2016, Best Dramatic Production for Arcadia in 2018 and Best Musical Production for Crazy for You in 2022. One of the most acclaimed and well-established amateur companies in the region, BODS’ recent productions have also included Guys and Dolls, Legally Blonde, Fiddler on the Roof and My Fair Lady.
A familiar face on the Bath theatre circuit, director Tristan Carter is the Director and Head of Acting at Bath School of Acting and the award-winning Curtain Up Theatre School. He has performed with groups in the Bath and Bristol area for many years. Performances with BODS include Bill Snibson in Me & My Girl, Tom Collins in Rent, Edna Turnblad in Hairspray and Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. As a director, his credits include productions of Company, The Mikado, The Witches of Eastwick, Jesus Christ Superstar, West Side Story, My Fair Lady and Priscilla Queen of the Desert.
There is a professional orchestra for 9 to 5 The Musical, conducted by musical director James Finbow, who began directing music for pantomimes and variety evenings at the age of 15, before working on concerts, workshops and full-scale musicals. This is James’s second production with BODS, following Guys and Dolls last year. As his day job, James works as Project Manager for Dorothy House.
Choreographer Lizzie Andrews trained at Bird College, London, studying Dance and Musical Theatre Performance. She runs Lizzie Rose Dance Teaching in Bath, with classes for adults and children in drama, musical theatre and dance.