WHAT brings people to see 9 to 5 The Musical?

Probably the same reasons that made the movie in 1980 a box office hit.

The humour, the clever storyline, the incredible songs and some undeniable truths about our society.

Oh, and the sprinkle of Dolly Parton magic, of course.

We may be working remotely more these days, but elitism and pay inequality are still relevant whilst sexism and objectification is thriving online.

Me, and my equally Dolly obsessed friend, came to watch the show. The audience at the Cliffs were buzzing, with men and women looking forward to some feelgood live entertainment.

Dolly (or The Guru as me and my friend call her) appeared on a screen high up on the stage. She set the scene and introduced the main characters.

It tells the story of three workers, Violet, Doralee and Judy, who are getting increasingly annoyed by theirr boss Franklin Hart Jnr.

Sarah-Marie Maxwell played the laser focused have-it-all career woman Violet, a widow who is always looking out for her fellow female co-workers. Emily was captivating on stage and had my friend and I whooping and cheering.

Vivian Panka played Judy Bernly the sweetly spoken the soon-to-be divorcee at 21. Vivian drew the audience in with her funny character and beautiful voice.

Stephanie Chandos played Doralee Rhodes (AKA Dolly’s character) to a tee. She was enchanting and her songbird voice sailed through the well-known Dolly songs so gracefully.

Julia J Nagle played Roz Keith, Hart’s spy who has a molten core of hot love for her boss. Sean Needham played Mr Hart and between him and Julia they had the audience laughing until they cried.

Featuring Dolly’s biggest hits such as “Always a Woman”, “Around Here” “Get Out and Stay Out”, and of course the title track 9 to 5.

The set design harks back to the Eighties but a lot of the themes ring true today. When I watched the film as a teenager, I didn't get the issues of work life balance.

Luckily, I married a man who shares family responsibilities with me, so we can spin the plates together. Lots of people I know don’t have this support and can feel like it's an impossible feat.

Writer Patricia Resnick’s vision of the future at the end of the show is optimistic. The women are smart, fearless, kind and funny and the working world is supportive and fair, let's hope it comes true one day.

9 to 5 The musical runs at the Cliffs Pavilion until Saturday 15 January. 

Visit www.thecliffspavilion.co.uk.