A MUSICAL promoting feminism and equal pay will be brought to the stage by an operatic society .

The Witham Amateur Operatic Society will perform Nine to Five, a musical written by Dolly Parton.

Based on the 1980 movie of the same name it centres on the working lives of three women – Violet, Judy and Doralee .

They all work at a company called Consolidated Industries, which is presided over by Franklin Hart.

The trio then form a bond and decide to kidnap their boss, forcing him to appro ve equal pay and better working conditions .

Across the performances there will be full staging and an orchestra.

The society, which is a community-based amateur musical group producing two sho ws a year in Witham Public Hall, has been rehearsing for the production over the past six months .

Chair man Stewart Adkins said the operatic society has pre pared and worked hard for the production.

He said: “The society celebrates 100 years in 2021, and so we’re looking forward to putting on a moder n play wh ere feminism triumphs .

“W e’re looking to have about 30 cast members, who have all worked so hard these past few months, on stage and another 50 members helping out with the behind the scenes preparation.

“We’ve had fun and we hope the audience can come along and have a really great time , as much fun as we have had making Dolly Par ton ’s musical.

“The society has existed in its cur rent guise since 1921 wh en it staged its first full musical perfor mance in April 1922.”

Over the years it has staged more than 130 successful productions with a reper toire ranging from Gilber t & Sulli van and light operetta through to We st End and Broad way blockbuster musicals .

Mr Adkins added: “We’re hoping Dolly Parton ’s musical will be exciting, fun and enter taining for the audience .”

The musical society will perform Dolly Par ton’s Nine to Five at Witham Public Hall on Collingwood Road from Monday, every night until next Saturday.

Perfor mances star t at 7.30pm, with the Saturday matinee performance starting at 2.30pm.