How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying - Southwark

Back to the production! A favourite "Musical Comedy" from the Golden Age which I found to be well sung (but quite why they are miked in this venue is baffling), played by the band and was overall enjoyable. The gender switching is unnecessary, does not work and with some strange directorial choices some performers are battling with the style. Not a fan of Ms Bennett who resorts to her standard gurning, is spectacularly unfunny and I wonder why she would accept such a role. Also the leading performer simply lacks the charm, charisma (and previously mentioned) style for this in my opinion. There was a terrific production at Chichester in 2005 (with Joe McFadden) which was pitch perfect and even the Jonathan Groff concert at RFH got much of it right. Maybe some issues will be ironed out during the previews.

I was there last night as well.

Bolted at the interval but husband stayed for Act 2 which he said was slightly better than Act One, but not much.

I thought it was badly cast, amateurish and mis-directed. Tracy Bennett must have lost a huge bet to be tied up in this mess.

H2$ is a period piece that doesn't work at all unless it remains in the time, place and style for which it was intended OR has a brilliant director/concept that can take it to new places. The most recent Broadway revival, which stayed true to the classic vibe of the show, was thrilling. This production was the opposite and dull as hell.

That said, I am glad others have found something to enjoy in it.

I’ve got a spare row A ticket for this Thursday evening (18/05) if anyone wants it.
Bought 2 tickets with my PAYG credits and my friend can’t go now so free if anyone wants the spare.

I was at the Saturday matinee. That's the last time I'll EVER book for a show without first finding out who is in the cast.

I always forget he wrote musicals at all to be honest — my instant association is with his one-off songs (Heart and Soul, Baby It's Cold Outside, Two Sleepy People etc). Oh, and Hans Christian Andersen.

I saw this production earlier this week and enjoyed it, although admittedly I thought that Act One dragged a little, but that's down to the book and to a plot whereby - as Steve pointed out above - the protagonist is not actually challenged, and even when something resembling a hurdle comes up, they get over it with stroke of luck after stroke of luck.

I saw another production of HTSIBWRT years ago, but I'm certainly not familiar with (or even fond of) the material as some here are, so perhaps I went in with no specific expectations and I was just happy to be lightly entertained, and I felt that the show delivered precisely that.

The cast is indeed very young, with the obvious exception of Tracie Bennett, but that did not bother me at all, as they're all competent singers/dancers/actors. Some performances actually stood out for me, especially Allie Daniel inhabited Rosemary in a very earnest and heartfelt way, which is not the easiest thing to do when your role is written pretty much as a stereotype and has barely any arc. All in all, however, this production sat around the 3.5/5 stars for me.

I didn't think that there was necessarily a major "design" behind the choice of gender-swapping the casting for some of the roles, just as there often isn't one when an actress is cast in a traditionally male-cast Shakespeare role. It's curious to see how much more of a "strong" reaction this choice elicits in this context, where with Shakespearean revivals it's often welcome as a breath of fresh air offering some new approach, etc. At the same time, I don't think it was just a "gimmick". I'm not sure that all the swaps worked equally well, as I was not always convinced by Gabrielle Friedman's Finch, but in general I thought it was just a beautiful way of honouring the fact that in 2023, in contrast to 1961 when HTSIBWRT was first staged, there's a pool of performers to choose amongst who can give more of a voice and representation to the whole LGBTQIA+ community.

Just received an email saying tonight’s show has been cancelled due to a cast injury.

At today’s matinee director Georgie Rankcom played Rosemary, stepping in for Allie Daniel (with this they did a decent job, considering they are not a performer).
The whole production is a mess, though. I am all for new concepts and “reimagining”, if you want to call it that way, but all involved have to be at the top of their craft which I think is not the case here. (This goes from direction to design to choreography to the cast itself, with some exceptions, notably Annie Aitken.)
Having seen great performances there in the past, I have to say that I am more often disappointed at the Southwark Playhouse these days.

This is two stars but only just, I was close to giving it 1 star which I don't actually think I've ever done before.

Every single person is miscast. Not a single genderblind choice works I'm afraid. Tracie Bennett being called Sir and Mr whatever was absurd.
It just feels to me like they got two weeks into rehearsals, realised what they were doing was absolutely bananas and didn't work, but carried on.

It got pulled to 2 stars by the band and it's varied members, and the voices in a couple of the big production numbers.
Otherwise this is a totally unintelligent mess.

I am fond of the film, and very much enjoyed the 2011 Broadway revival of this musical with Daniel Radcliffe. Sadly, this latest interpretation has sucked out all of the joy and comedy.

The show is meant to be populated by stereotypes -- the tyrannical, uncaring boss, the roguish but lovable chancer climbing up the ladder, the ditsy, wannabe girlfriend, the villainous colleague -- but by subverting types and apparent genders, there is nothing left to recognise and laugh at.

The costumes could not settle on period either, some being evocative of 50s, some 60s and some 70s. Wigs/hairstyles were period for half the cast and 2023 (i.e. actors' own) for the rest, which made little sense.

Of the performances, only Allie Daniel stood out for a sublime singing voice, but was nevertheless unconvincing as Rosemary.

I'm afraid I can only concur with those who have said this affair is a complete mess, and not an enjoyable one at that.

Two stars.

Act 1: 15:04-16:28
Act 2: 16:48-17:41

I totally agree. That was exactly how I felt but couldn't quite come up with the proper words.