What happens when an ambitious window washer discovers a step-by-step guide to corporate success? In How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, currently playing at Hayes Theatre Co, the answer is a gloriously improbable ascent filled with office politics, romantic complications and plenty of musical mischief.
Frank Loesser’s Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning musical first appeared on Broadway in 1961, but its satire of corporate ambition, workplace rivalries and confidently underqualified men remains surprisingly recognisable. Under Cameron Mitchell’s direction and choreography, LPD Productions delivers a joyful and sharply observed revival that embraces the show’s period setting while keeping its comedy lively.
Jake Speer leads the production as J. Pierrepont Finch, a charming window washer who begins climbing the corporate ladder with the help of a book bearing the musical’s title. Speer is endlessly watchable, capturing Finch’s ambition, confidence and calculated innocence without losing the character’s likeability. His comic timing makes even Finch’s most audacious manoeuvres feel almost reasonable.
Opposite him, Georgia Laga’aia brings warmth and sincerity to Rosemary Pilkington, who quickly imagines a future with Finch. Their relationship adds sweetness to the corporate chaos, although the musical’s attitudes towards gender and romance inevitably reveal its 1960s origins. The production handles this knowingly, allowing audiences to enjoy the satire without pretending its workplace dynamics are entirely contemporary.
Simon Burke commands the stage as company president J.B. Biggley, combining executive authority with a delightful capacity for absurdity. Lucy Lalor is equally entertaining as the glamorous Hedy LaRue, while Max Macdonald’s Bud Frump makes a wonderfully persistent obstacle to Finch’s ascent.
The supporting cast creates a bustling corporate world in which conformity is celebrated, ambition is disguised and everyone seems to be watching everyone else. Wayne Scott Kermond, Stacey Thomsett, Noni McCallum, Kaeng Chan, Madeline Pratt, Taye Grant and Zachary Webster each bring personality to the executive floor, supported by a spirited ensemble.
The choreography and music are among the production’s greatest pleasures. Mitchell makes excellent use of the intimate Hayes stage, filling it with crisp movement, physical comedy and tightly coordinated ensemble sequences. The proximity of the performers gives the production an infectious energy, drawing the audience directly into the frantic rhythms of office life.
Musical highlights include the knowingly obedient “The Company Way”, Finch’s self-assured “I Believe in You” and the exuberant “Brotherhood of Man”. Under musical director Kimberley Gilbert, Loesser’s score feels buoyant and immediate, building towards a finale that captures the full comic confidence of the production.
While some elements of the story are unmistakably products of their era, the musical’s central joke remains potent: professional success is not always awarded to the most capable person, but often to the one who best understands the system.
Fast, funny and performed with tremendous charm, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is a joyful night at the theatre. Jake Speer’s charismatic performance anchors a production brimming with musical energy, clever choreography and corporate scheming. It may not offer reliable career advice, but it certainly succeeds as entertainment.
About the author
Yara Vasina is a Sydney-based arts and culture writer with a passion for performance, travel, and discovering the experiences that make a city memorable.
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying plays at Hayes Theatre Co, 19 Greenknowe Avenue, Potts Point, until 27 September. Tickets are available from hayestheatre.com.au.
Disclosure: The Plus Ones were guests of SLIP Publicity.
Image credit: John McRae
