Venue: Hayes Theatre Co (Potts Point NSW), Aug 28 – Sep 27, 2026
Book: Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock, Willie Gilbert
Music and Lyrics: Frank Loesser
Director: Cameron Mitchell
Cast: Simon Burke, Kaeng Chan, Taye Grant, Katie Green, Kye Hall, Wayne Scott Kermond, Georgia Laga’aia, Lucy Lalor, Max Macdonald, Noni McCallum, Kristina McNamara, Madeline Pratt, Jake Speer, Stacey Thomsett, Zachary Webster
Images by John McRae

Theatre review
A window washer stumbles upon a manual that promises to teach any man how to game the system and ascend the corporate hierarchy without the burden of genuine effort. How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying may be well into its seventh decade, yet its dissection of capitalism (particularly its hollow mythology of merit and fairness) remains disquietingly pertinent.

What has not weathered the years, however, is its treatment of women: every female character is rendered as woefully subservient, stripped of agency, and reduced to cardboard cut-outs wholly objectified through the lens of 1950s masculinity. It is regrettable that director and choreographer Cameron Mitchell makes no discernible attempt to restore dignity to these roles; nevertheless, the tautness and precision of his staging deliver a production that is, for all its antiquated sensibilities, undeniably and irresistibly enjoyable. The vigour and momentum of the direction prove thoroughly engaging, as does the overall sheen of the presentation – an accomplishment owed in no small measure to its design team.

Dominic Foffani’s set achieves striking stylistic fidelity, offering a grand and officious vision of the era’s aspirational workplaces. Christine Mutton’s costumes delight with their judiciously balanced and vibrant palette, each garment meticulously tailored to present every performer at their most flattering. Peter Rubie’s lighting is finely attuned to the production’s comedic register, yet seizes every opportunity to conjure moments of genuine beauty whenever the score drifts into more poetic territory.

Jake Speer proves a leading man of considerable precision and detail, bringing formidable technical skill and commanding self-assurance to the role of Finch. As his romantic interest Rosemary, Georgia Laga’aia sings with exquisite beauty, and is fortunately granted several substantial musical numbers that showcase her considerable vocal gifts, even if the character herself remains stubbornly uninspiring. The ensemble is immensely likeable, and the production lingers in the memory for its many sequences in which the company’s infectious dynamism and polished cohesion testify to an admirable dedication in the rehearsal room. Kim Gilbert’s musical direction is a thorough pleasure, brimming with jaunty rhythms that sustain the audience’s delight throughout.

Much of what How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying asserts still rings true. Deceit and obfuscation remain entrenched in the structures that govern our social and economic existence; yet while the narrative exposes this reality with clarity, it appears to advocate not for resistance or reform, but for the cynical strategy of aligning oneself with those who wield power unscrupulously. More than seventy years have elapsed since Shepherd Mead’s original novel, and the corrosive effects of the corruption he described have not merely persisted—they have metastasised, inflicting ever greater harm upon the lives of ordinary people.

www.hayestheatre.com.au | www.lpdprod.com