Violet, Judy and Doralee have all had enough of their sexist, dishonest and spectacularly unpleasant boss Franklin Hart Jr. After fantasising about getting rid of him, events get rather out of hand and the three women find themselves temporarily in charge of both Hart and the office. While their boss is otherwise occupied, they transform the workplace, introduce better conditions and discover what they can achieve when they stop accepting the rules handed to them. Naturally, there is also Dolly Parton, because workplace reform is considerably more enjoyable when accompanied by a very good song.
All Saints Elton Theatre Company presented 9 to 5 The Musical from Tuesday 15th to Saturday 19th July 2025, directed by Andy Milthorpe, with Alasdair Gordon as musical director and Samantha Tarrier as choreographer.
Based on the hit 1980 film, the musical features music and lyrics by Dolly Parton and a book by Patricia Resnick.
Set in the late 1970s, it follows three women whose lives are very different but whose experience of Franklin Hart is unfortunately similar.
Violet is experienced and repeatedly overlooked for promotion. Judy is entering the workplace after the end of her marriage. Doralee, played by Charlotte Crowley, is intelligent and capable but surrounded by office gossip encouraged by Hart himself.
Their unlikely friendship becomes the engine of the story.
Once Hart is removed from his desk, the women begin running the company rather better without him. Flexible hours, improved conditions and a workplace that actually considers its employees prove surprisingly effective. Who knew?
The score includes the title song 9 to 5, one of Dolly Parton’s most recognisable hits, alongside a full Broadway score written for the musical.
Funny, energetic and still painfully recognisable, 9 to 5 is a story about friendship, equality and discovering that the people supposedly running the office may not actually be the people keeping it going.