REVIEW: Satirical Take On Big Business, HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING Remains Relevant As Corporations Continue To See It As A Handbook, Not A Caution
HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING
Wednesday 2nd September 2026, 7:30pm, Hayes Theatre Potts Point
The satirical musical of what should be a corporate myth, that someone with no experience can rise to the top of the corporate ladder, HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING, is presented in classic Broadway style at Hayes Theatre. Presented 65 years after Frank Loesser (music and lyrics) and Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert’s (Book) adaptation of Shepherd Mead’s 1952 “self help” book of the same name premiered on Broadway and won seven of its eight Tony Award nominations, it appears that some contemporary big business are now using it as a blueprint for their Standard Operating Procedures rather than a word of warning.
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The premise of HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING is that young window washer J. Pierrepont Finch (Jake Speer), a name most likely selected to link the character the famous American financier and investment banker from New York’s Gilded Age, has decided to follow the advice of an instructional book. Guided by the book’s unseen narrator (Tony Sheldon), the unskilled Finch, or Ponty to his friends, navigates his way from the mailroom of the World Wide Wicket Company, all the way to the top of the corporate tree, manipulating, lying, cheating, and exploiting people at every level. His journey highlights the nepotism, favouritism, prejudices, biases and acceptance of clever conversation and the right words over any actual skill that can still be seen in contemporary companies, no matter how much they’ll protest that their processes and procedures are fair and equitable.
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With a strong background as a choreographer before adding director to his skillset, Cameron Mitchell has created a wonderful all singing, all dancing experience that honours the work’s 1960’s Broadway origins. Set Designer Dominic Foffani has delivered a striking set that provides Mitchell space for big dance numbers while reinforcing Finch’s transition from being on the outside looking in, to being part of the World Wide Wicket Company. The addition of versatile elements allows the space to transform between lift lobbys, the mailroom, typing pool, and various executive and junior executive offices. Christine Mutton’s costume design is wonderful in the uniqueness of each character and the way in which the era has been honoured. Special mention however goes to J.B. Biggley’s (Simon Burke) golf attire and hand knitted sweater and accessories.
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Cameron Mitchell has gathered a strong cast of performers that sing, dance, act and have fabulous comic sensibilities. While it could be argued that Jake Speer might be a little to ‘perfect’ in terms of appearance, matching the ‘golden boy’ ideal of the era compared to other castings which often choose someone that doesn’t quite fit the stereotype, he delivers a fabulous performance that captures the cunning nature of the character that really lacks a moral compass but ultimately fits in perfectly in the world of manipulation, backstabbing and deceit. Georgia Laga’aia is captivating as the young secretary, Rosemary, that sets her sights on Finch, planning her white picket fence life within moments of meeting him with beautiful clear vocals and an expression that implies naivety yet she’s calculating enough to be targeting someone she believes will provide her with the lifestyle she aspires to.
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Icon of the international musical theatre stage, Simon Burke really leans in to the absurdity of CEO of the World Wide wicket Company, presenting J.B. Biggley as a bumbling fool, easily manipulated by his wife and mistress yet able to still command a level of fear from his minions. He brings an endearing camp quality to the character that ends up scrambling for his own ‘survival’ once Finch’s antics end up exposing his flaws. Biggley’s mistress, Hedy Larue is presented with bold brashness by Lucy Lalor who ensures that the bombshell shows a different strategy to Rosemary while still showing that both women are really just trying to secure their financial future.
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As Biggley’s wife’s nephew Bud Frump, Max MacDonald ensures that the whiny idiot relative is suitably “oily” and untrustworthy in a way that can make your skin crawl. Biggley’s secretary Miss Jones is presented as having a gravitas and a wisdom of having seen it all by Noni McCallum who ensures that the character sits apart from the rest of the secretaries yet has a caring nature in the way she feeds Finch information. The roles of Twimble, head of the mailroom, and Womper, the Chairman of the company, allow Wayne Scott Kermond to play to his strengths as a great comic performer, both in his vocal choices and his physicality as he presents two unique old men at different ends of the corporate ladder.
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When Shepherd Mead wrote HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING: THE DASTARD’S GUIDE TO FAME AND FORTUNE, it was meant as a humorous satire of the instructional manual genre, based on his own experiences in corporate advertising. It was not meant to be a serious work and neither was the musical adaptation, but viewing this fabulous production in 2026 elicits both laughter and joy, and horror, at the realisation that some big businesses seem to be using it as a framework of how to conduct business rather than considering it as points to avoid, making its revival even more important. Hopefully, dear reader, you can’t see parallels with your own workplace and you can enjoy the work as bright, funny, evening of escapism to a bygone era, but if you do find you relate, take heart in knowing that, you aren’t crazy for thinking things should be different and your situation isn’t unique, its been the same for over 65 years so maybe its time to adopt some of the tips for yourself, to hell with if you really are the right person for the job.
How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying | Hayes Theatre Co
Photos: John McRae
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