Working

Following the success of 'Godspell' and 'Pippin', and long before 'Wicked', Stephen Schwartz teamed up with fellow composers including James Taylor and Mary Rodgers on this song cycle dedicated to the world of work.

Inspired by Studs Terkel’s book of interviews with a cross-section of American workers, the show first appeared in 1977 but has now been updated to include two new songs by 'Hamilton' maestro Lin-Manuel Miranda. The result is both a celebration of, and tirade against, the weird things we do to earn a crust.

We hear from both the blue and white sides of the collar divide; and from the teacher to the steelworker, they’re united by a shared sense of missing out. What could they have achieved had they not been shackled to the nine-to-five? Not an original theme, perhaps, but one that hits home in a era where social mobility is grinding to a halt.

Director Luke Sheppard has assembled an impressive ensemble of new and established talent. Stand-outs include Gillian Bevan as Rose Hoffman, the ageing teacher struggling to teach a class of 35. Siubhan Harrison delivers a knock-out rendition of James Taylor’s song 'Millwork', about a single mother struggling by. And Liam Tamne channels the life of an Uber rider with the catchy Miranda-penned 'Delivery'.

Southwark Playhouse has built a reputation for high quality imports of unsung American musicals, and 'Working' is no exception. Although its sign-off message, that workers on all rungs of the ladder should given more public recognition ('Something to Point To') feels pat, it’s nevertheless a worthwhile attempt to shine a spotlight on the everyday heroes – and victims – of the workforce.