Bath Operatic and Dramatic Society present 9 to 5 The Musical at the Theatre Royal Bath

Dolly Parton and Patricia Resnick’s feel-good hit 9 to 5 The Musical takes to the stage from Tuesday 27 February to Saturday 2 March when award-winning amateur theatre company Bath Operatic and Dramatic Society make a welcome return to the Theatre Royal Bath featuring a large cast of local talent. Based on the iconic 1980 film of the same name, this hilarious stage production is about teaming up, standing up and taking care of business.

With a rip-roaring score by the Queen of Country, Dolly Parton, 9 to 5 The Musical tells the story of three workmates pushed to boiling point by their sexist and egotistical boss. Concocting a plan to kidnap and turn the tables on their despicable supervisor, will the ladies manage to reform their office - or will events unravel when the CEO pays an unexpected visit?

Bath Operatic and Dramatic Society (BODS) return to the Theatre Royal Bath with a cast of 35 local performers, aged from 16 to 71 years, who hail from Bath, Bristol, Wiltshire, Somerset and Gloucestershire. One of the most acclaimed and well-established amateur companies in the region, BODS’s recent productions have included Guys and Dolls, Crazy for You (winner of the Rose Bowl Award for Best Musical Production), Legally Blonde, Fiddler on the Roof and My Fair Lady.

The three female lead roles of Violet, Doralee and Judy are played by Sabrina Messer, Hannah Graham and Kate Lodite. Since last performing at the Theatre Royal ten years ago, Sabrina Messer has lived in London, trained at The Drama Centre and performed in the cast of Timpson: The Musical with Gigglemug Theatre Company, which premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe before doing a small UK tour. Hannah Graham returns to the stage after a small hiatus from performing since having her twin sons. Hannah last performed at the Theatre Royal with BODS as Penny Pingleton in Hairspray in 2015. Hailing from Bristol, Kate Lodite plays the role of the “new” girl in the office, Judy Bernley, who is searching for personal empowerment after her life was turned upside down by her husband’s affair. This production marks Kate’s fourth with BODS and is her first lead role with the company on the Theatre Royal’s stage.  

Playing the notorious, chauvinist boss, Franklin Hart, and his ever-attentive assistant, Roz, are real-life married couple, Pip and Jane Knowles. Hailing from Radstock, Pip Knowles has performed in the Bath area in many productions, most recently playing the roles of Benny Southstreet in Guys and Dolls, Tom Collins in Rent and Emmett Forrest in Legally Blonde. In his spare time, Pip is member of the vocal singing group, Upfront and Casual, who perform a wide range of songs at weddings and parties across the country. Jane Knowles has appeared in a number of productions locally, most recently she played the female comic lead, Adelaide, in Guys and Dolls, Petra in A Little Night Music and Tess in Crazy For You, for which she was also Dance Captain. The principal cast is completed by George Miles – who works by day in the Box Office at the Theatre Royal – as Joe, Leo Horler as Dwayne, Finley Hancorn as Josh and Ahad Khan as Dick.

A familiar face on the Bath theatre circuit, Director Tristan Carter is the Director and Head of Acting at Bath School of Acting and the award-winning Curtain Up Theatre School. Tristan has performed with groups in the Bath and Bristol area for many years; his performance credits with BODS include playing Bill Snibson in Me & My Girl, Tom Collins in Rent, Edna Turnblad in Hairspray and Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. His directing credits include productions of Company, The Mikado, The Witches of Eastwick, Jesus Christ Superstar, West Side Story, Sweet Charity, 9 to 5, My Fair Lady, Oliver! and Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

9 to 5 The Musical features a professional orchestra conducted by Musical Director James Finbow. James began directing music for pantomimes and variety evenings at the age of 15, before working on concerts, workshops and full-scale musicals. This is James’s second production at the Theatre Royal Bath with BODS as Musical Director, following Guys and Dolls last year. As his day job, James works as Project Manager for Dorothy House.

Completing the creative team is Choreographer Lizzie Andrews. Lizzie trained at Bird College, London, studying Dance and Musical Theatre Performance. After living in London for nearly four years, she returned to Bath where she runs her own school, Lizzie Rose Dance Teaching, with regular classes for both adults and children in drama, musical theatre and dance.

Established in 1894, and originally called Bath Amateurs, Bath Operatic and Dramatic Society’s (BODS) illustrious history includes many acclaimed performances. BODS’s recent success at the Rose Bowl Awards includes Best Choreography for West Side Story in 2016, Best Dramatic Production for Arcadia in 2018 and Best Musical Production for Crazy for You in 2022.