Composed by Frank Loesser and written by Abe Burrows, "How to Succeeed in Business" is one of the great Broadway musicals, but strangely less well-known over here than its predecessor "Guys and Dolls". The production in Lincoln Hall is an ambitious confection that thoroughly and deservedly captured the heart of its first night audience. It is impressive that Lincoln have surrendered their hall to theatre, and sent its undergraduates to eat in Exeter next door - the original plan to stage the show in the Library might have been even more effective and more audacious, and I fancy there would have been greater room for the band. Certainly, wherever this production might have been staged, in a Dining room or in the Oxford Playhouse, it was likely to sell out. Peter Wilson, the director, has a firm control on things which is remarkable in an undergraduate musical: there is a sparkle and professionalism to all performances, but perhaps most tellingly, everyone on stage can genuinely sing well and two men in particular, the engaging Calum Melville and Marc Vastenavondt really know how to sell a song.
The story follows the efforts of J Pierrepont Finch who rises from humble window cleaner to vice-president of The Wicket Corporation with the aid of a paperback guide bearing the show's title. By the end, he is so successful, there are fears he might even make a bid for the Whitehouse. On the way, he learns how to be deceitful, calculating, self-assured and (given some of his responses to the advice he gets from the book) gleefully smug, but the real challenge of the part is also that to us, the audience, he remains charming and innocent, something Melville manages effortlessly. Towards the end of the show is Finch's anthem, "I believe in You", which could not have been better.
Finch is pursued by Rosemary who is charmingly played by Sophie Pitman, and I enjoyed her costume change during Paris Original: it was worth the wait and the comedy which followed made me laugh aloud - it's a very good moment! I also very much enjoyed the energetic Benjo Fraser and the incredibly tall Harry Shearer and sexy Sophie Kirby, who was loitering in laddered fishnet tights when I arrived, and made me wonder whether I had stumbled into the seedier side of St Trinians.
The orchestra under Caroline Steranka, tucked on one side of the hall, could easily have got out of hand, but as the show progressed, only got better and better. I had a brief chat with the producer in the interval, a genial fellow called Bello, who has done a remarkable job to bring this off. The producer has all the headaches and responsibility to get bums on seats. Rarely, does he see his name in print, but I promised to write a good review and here it is - Congratulations all round, and I hope the same team will be unearthing another gem of the American Musical tradition next year. I hope OUDS and St John's Mummers who backed this show are pleased with their profits: I know that Saturday evening is sold out, and that there is a revised starting time, but if you can get to see this on Thursday, Friday or the Matinee, it is worth every penny. You know, it might be worth queuing for returns!
The story follows the efforts of J Pierrepont Finch who rises from humble window cleaner to vice-president of The Wicket Corporation with the aid of a paperback guide bearing the show's title. By the end, he is so successful, there are fears he might even make a bid for the Whitehouse. On the way, he learns how to be deceitful, calculating, self-assured and (given some of his responses to the advice he gets from the book) gleefully smug, but the real challenge of the part is also that to us, the audience, he remains charming and innocent, something Melville manages effortlessly. Towards the end of the show is Finch's anthem, "I believe in You", which could not have been better.
Finch is pursued by Rosemary who is charmingly played by Sophie Pitman, and I enjoyed her costume change during Paris Original: it was worth the wait and the comedy which followed made me laugh aloud - it's a very good moment! I also very much enjoyed the energetic Benjo Fraser and the incredibly tall Harry Shearer and sexy Sophie Kirby, who was loitering in laddered fishnet tights when I arrived, and made me wonder whether I had stumbled into the seedier side of St Trinians.
The orchestra under Caroline Steranka, tucked on one side of the hall, could easily have got out of hand, but as the show progressed, only got better and better. I had a brief chat with the producer in the interval, a genial fellow called Bello, who has done a remarkable job to bring this off. The producer has all the headaches and responsibility to get bums on seats. Rarely, does he see his name in print, but I promised to write a good review and here it is - Congratulations all round, and I hope the same team will be unearthing another gem of the American Musical tradition next year. I hope OUDS and St John's Mummers who backed this show are pleased with their profits: I know that Saturday evening is sold out, and that there is a revised starting time, but if you can get to see this on Thursday, Friday or the Matinee, it is worth every penny. You know, it might be worth queuing for returns!