How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying - Southwark

[couldileaveyou]

Tony and Pulitzer-winning musical How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying will return to London later this spring, it has been announced.

Frank Loesser and Abe Burrow's piece, which follows the enterprising J Pierrepont Finch who uses a small hand-book to soar up the corporate ladder, is set to run at Southwark Playhouse from 12 May, with dates through to 17 June.

Director Georgie Rankcom (who helmed the WhatsOnStage Award-nominated Anyone Can Whistle at the same venue) said: "This show has always intrigued me and to have the chance to bring it to life at Southwark Playhouse is incredibly exciting. We hope that this version will resonate with a new generation of theatergoers who will see just how brilliant and incisive the piece really is. Existing fans of the show will see and hear everything they love but presented by a cast and team who represent the society that we live in now.

"We plan to find new and exciting talents to bring this story to life as it's never been seen before. We're excited to embrace the absurdity of the show through a modern lens, whilst retaining all the wit and DNA of the original. Expect big laughs, big musical numbers and big heart, all in a small space that allows you to feel like you're a part of the action."

Michelle Visage (RuPaul's Drag Race) will lend her voice to the production as "The Book", guiding Pierrepont through various business conundrums.


www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/how-to-succeed-in-business-without-really-trying_58374.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=20feb2023

[zahidf]

southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/productions/how-to-succeed-in-business-without-really-trying/

Southwark playhouse 12 MAY - 17 JUN 2023

[Someone in a tree]

Hurrah.
I loved last year's Whistle.
Plus it's a musical that I haven't seen.

[FrontroverPaul]

Booked my favourite seat for the Tuesday matinee preview. Big saving (£16 tickets) over main run pricing (£35, £28 concessions) though it's Press Night that day and last time I had a similar booking the matinee was cancelled....

The Pay As You Go Scheme offers 5 never-expiring tickets for £75 so two people booking this show could purchase this first and would only pay an extra £5 for three tickets to see other shows at Southwark Playhouse venues. One person would get 4 future tickets for an extra £40. Both great deals.

[Deleted]

Love this show. Played Bud Frump in secondary and J. Pierrepont Finch at uni. Both roles are so much fun.

[apubleed]

Does the image suggest they might be gender-bending the lead role? (assuming it's not meant to just be a photo of Michelle Visage).

[oxfordsimon]

I love the score. Some great show tunes.

However the show is predicated on a very certain world view. Yes, it does send up that sort of thinking. But it needs those ways of thinking and behaving to be there for the humour to work.

You cannot force modern sensibilities onto a show that is so rooted in the attitudes of the original setting.

Anyone Can Whistle was a very different type of show and more able to handle the 'modern' approach of the director.

You don't need to revise it to show the problems of sexism in the workplace, the issues around corporate culture, why nepotism is a bad thing and so forth.

[bobbievanhusen]

I read about a workshop reading of a female How To Succeed and I wonder if this might be part of it. The artwork might suggest that too.

It's a show I love and it's not often produced so will be great to see it. Even when originally staged it was a satire on the workplace, so it will be interesting to see what that means for todays audience. Now i'm going to be singing 'Happy to Keep His Dinner Warm. for the rest of the day'

[thistimetomorrow]

Very excited for this! I really enjoyed 'Whistle' last year too so high hopes for this

[Someone in a tree]

I don't know this show but how would updating it be different from doing something similar to Shrew or Kiss me Kate ?

[oxfordsimon]

I have never seen an update Shrew that works better than keeping it in the original setting. Indeed, if I were ever to direct it, I would absolutely give it a full 16th century production.

H$S is set in the world of mid 20th century America. Men dominate the workplace. Women are secretaries. Nepotism and favouritism are key to success.

The piece is very much satirical and comic in tone. It in no way approves of the status quo even if the female lead is 'Happy to Keep his dinner warm'...

You could, in theory, update it but would it be an improvement? I would argue that it is so deeply rooted in a certain era that it only truly works as a piece of you perform it as intended.

[zahidf]

I guess with a musical like this, there is a little more leeway to change the plot e.t.c to make it fit in today. Most people are just interested in the songs

[zahidf]

Feb 20, 2023 15:03:59 GMT oxfordsimon said:

I have never seen an update Shrew that works better than keeping it in the original setting. Indeed, if I were ever to direct it, I would absolutely give it a full 16th century production.

I remember one at the Old Vic e( an all male version) which had a prologue and epilogue casting it as a misogynists dream rather than reality. Which i thought made it work better and kept it within the realms of modern day sensibilities

I think there was a comedy version at the RSC with Jasper Britton which was funny, but i doubt theyd be able to do that one now. 

[Being Alive]

God the RSCs Shrew where they swapped all the dialogue and made the women in charge was AWFUL...the only thing I've seen of Justin's who is taking over Chichester so....doesn't fill me with much hope

I'm sure this will be fine, but like Anyone Can Whistle (whilst good fun) was absolutely nothing like what was written. They didn't trust the (albeit odd) material and so went full bonkers with the production.

[mkb]

I really enjoyed the 2011 production at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre in New York with Daniel Radcliffe as J. Pierrepont, so have cashed in a couple of PAYG subscription tickets for this.

One of my four PAYG packages does not appear to have survived what appears to be a transition to a new booking system, so I'm waiting to hear back where they've gone.  So, if you have any packages bought before that transition, I would check your account to see if they are correct.

[thistimetomorrow]

Feb 20, 2023 16:43:45 GMT mkb said:

One of my four PAYG packages does not appear to have survived what appears to be a transition to a new booking system, so I'm waiting to hear back where they've gone.  So, if you have any packages bought before that transition, I would check your account to see if they are correct.

Mm mine too, I called them up and they said they can see it on their system that I should have those, but apparently their website was glitchy and not transferring everything properly, so to check again in a few days. This was back in like December though and I haven't checked since, so I'm surprised it hasn't been fixed yet.

[alece10]

Thanks for the info. I've got one ticket left on my package which goes back a while so I will check to see if its there.

[SamB (was badoerfan)]

I had the same issue, emailed them and got a reply the next day, saying that they'd checked the old system and the PAYG tickets were still there. And for some reason, they are actually 'in' the new system, they just don't show up. Apparently they did a dummy booking, and it fetched the PAYG tickets, so in theory if I try to book, it should use them fine. Do check with them, it seems to be a known issue, and one which is easily resolved.

[showtoones]

In the description, the pronoun "they" is used in reference to Finch which leads me to believe that Finch will be non-binary.

[mrbarnaby]

Feb 20, 2023 20:21:12 GMT showtoones said:

In the description, the pronoun "they" is used in reference to Finch which leads me to believe that Finch will be non-binary.

Sigh.

[nottobe]

Yes I have to say at first I was quite interested in this when I saw it announced. If they are messing about with it I don't think I'll bother, I can't see any need for a contemporary update.

[oxfordsimon]

Feb 20, 2023 21:36:17 GMT nottobe said:

Yes I have to say at first I was quite interested in this when I saw it announced. If they are messing about with it I don't think I'll bother, I can't see any need for a contemporary update.

It strikes me as an update to appear progressive rather than from a desire to make really good theatre. The message appears more important than the entertainment.

Of course the director will claim otherwise but the blurb is so defensive that it is clear that the show has been altered quite significantly.

Amazed the rights holders approved.

[winonaforever]

Feb 20, 2023 20:21:12 GMT showtoones said:

In the description, the pronoun "they" is used in reference to Finch which leads me to believe that Finch will be non-binary.

FFS!

[theoracle]

Well Jordan Broatch was brilliant in Whistle so wouldn’t mind seeing them have a go at Finch. Some brilliant non-binary talent out there so wouldn’t mind

[Mark]

Brotherhood of Man should be an interesting one then.