Likeable Dolly works her magic

9 TO 5, Opera House, Manchester, to October 20

As soon as Dolly Parton herself comes up larger than life and perky as ever on the large video screen, the course of this breezy evening is set.

Parton is a remarkable woman: hall of fame songwriter, renowned singer and a businesswoman with wide interests. But what she has always had more than anything else is the ability to be instantly likeable.

It’s a trait pretty obvious here, even on video, whether explaining the bare bones of the story, leading the final chorus of the famous theme tune or wishing Manchester well as she brings the show to a close. Yes we know that insert has been filmed for everywhere the show will visit, but it wins us over anyway. People really do cheer video.

And it’s a trait shared by the show itself, especially graced as here by four strong — and likeable — central performances as the women take back their lives and take control of their boss and company.

The musical might have had to work very hard to convince us that three stage actresses could take on roles made famous in the movie by Parton, Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda.

In fact that isn’t a problem: the addition of music makes this a broader, funnier experience than the movie, and Amy Lennox, Jackie Clune and Natalie Casey respectively — not to mention fourth wheel Bonnie Langford and sexist office boss Ben Richards — have the experience to instantly have the audience eating out of their hands.

The only points of issue in this Manchester premiere concern what in most other shows might be deal breakers. Though set in 1979, the set design surely didn’t have to come from the period, too. There’s too much old-fashioned dragging-on and off of masses of furniture — sometimes for relatively short scenes, especially in the second act.

And the need to give the central three their moments of individual glory means Bonnie Langford as the shrewish office snitch has a show-stopping number not far into the first act — with which she demolishes all-comers and is more than a match for the other leads.

But I’m not complaining too much: there’s a lot happening despite the thin story and Clune, Lennox and especially Casey — Oldham Theatre Workshop trained as a teen — knock us out with big-scale numbers and between-songs humour.

It’s not perfect, but it does the job.