EdFringe Review: 9 to 5 at Assembly Hall

9 to 5
Assembly Hall
Running Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Reviewed on Sunday 14th August 2016
★★

Based on the 1980 film, 9 to 5 premiered on Broadway in 2009 before making its UK premiere with a UK tour in 2012. This summer the show, which features Dolly Parton's music and book by Patricia Resnick, is being staged at the EdFringe starring musical theatre students from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

9 to 5 is a fun show with a fun, female driven story led by three women who want to change their office working environment for the better. I've seen many of RCS's productions over the years - including Avenue Q and The Addams Family - and have always been impressed by the high quality they bring to the fringe, so it was a shame to see standards slipping this year.

Vocals were screechy, execution of choreography was sloppy, the sound was poor and the set appeared much cheaper than usual. 9 to 5 is a larger than life show with big hair, huge characters and belt-tastic songs; many cast members simply seemed out of their depth. Featuring some terrific music, 9 to 5 is an enjoyable show; although this production was disappointing, I still enjoyed myself and was left eager to see a full scale professional production.

Reviewed by Andrew Tomlins (Editor)

9 to 5 runs at Assembly Hall to Sunday 28th August 201 (11:30). Click here for info and tickets.