Scott Garnham in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying at the Guildhall Great Hall, London
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying was performed at the Guildhall Great Hall, London as part of the City of London Festival.
Star rating: 4 stars ★ ★ ★ ★
London’s magnificent Guildhall Great Hall, adorned with glamorous chandeliers and grand stained glass windows, proved to be a truly spectacular venue for City of London Festival’s production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.
Originally a book, written by Shepherd Mead, the 1961 show (music and lyrics by Frank Loesser, book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert) won seven Tony Awards and the 1962 Pulitzer Prize for Drama before it was made into a movie in 1967, with a cast including Robert Morse and Rudy Vallee (reprising their original Broadway roles).
Although the show doesn’t have the most demanding of books, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying gleams with witty one-liners, here cleverly complemented by flourishes from a quality Royal Academy of Music orchestra conducted by Bjorn Dobbelaere (although occasionally the accompaniment threatened to drown out performers’ vocals).
The performance was brought to life by a talented cast including Nick Hewer (BBC’s The Apprentice), Scott Garnham, Jeff Shankley, Simon Green, Sabrina Carter, Nadim Naaman and Emily Goad. The cast of West End performers were also joined by a chorus drawn from office choirs across the capital: event sponsors Irwin Mitchell, Armitage Festival Choir, Debenhams, Hearst Singers and MEC Global.
The satirical story focuses on window cleaner J. Pierrepont Finch (Garnham) who, inspired by the self-help manual How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, joins the World Wide Wicket Company. Guided by the voice of the book (Hewer), he successfully marches his way up the corporate ladder, despite having no experience. During his ascent, he falls for secretary Rosemary Pilkington (Goad), while ignoring the flirtatious nature of ex-nightclub cigarette girl Hedy LaRue (Carter) and competing with his boss’ dependent (although strangely loveable) nephew, Bud Frump (Naaman).
The most surprising cast member proved to be The Apprentice’s Hewer. In direct contrast to his authorative and dominating TV role, Hewer appeared shy, which wasn’t helped by his position on stage, often hidden behind other cast members. It felt as if his role could have been used more effectively. However, his voice definitely proved to be the perfect match for the tone of the book, oozing knowledge and experience alongside occasional comical moments.
Actor and singer Garnham was a superb Finch, captivating and charming the audience just as successfully as he did his work colleagues. He sang with effortless excellence, his voice filling the grand, echoic hall. Although, sadly, his vocals, in addition to those of the other cast members, did sometimes seem lost within the sea of choirs and orchestra.
However, perhaps the true star of the night was the evil and “thicker than blood” Bud Frump, who was played magnificently by Naaman. He embraced the role with the upmost confidence, especially throughout his reprise of ‘Company Way’. The actor and singer demonstrated great comical timing – throwing out humorous one-liners – and was nothing less than absolutely loveable (despite his character’s sinister nature).
One of the greatest joys of the performance was the inclusion of an enthusiastic ensemble – alumni from Royal Academy of Music’s Musical Theatre Company – which truly brought the show to life. Despite limited space onstage due to the concert format, director Susie Dumbreck and choreographer Chris-Stuart-Wilson cleverly used the space, particularly when the lead cast members and ensemble came together in numbers such as ‘Coffee Break’. Such scenes led to a truly engaging connection between performer and audience.
Although a beautiful location, the Great Hall may not have been the best venue for the staging of a musical. The acoustics brought limitations and meant that the performers and orchestra were occasionally overwhelmed.
Regardless of this though, the concert was simply yet effectively staged, therefore making it an actual success, without really trying!
Polly Sisley
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