Company is a musical with a book by George Furth and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.

Originally entitled Threes, its plot revolves around Bobby (a single man unable to commit fully to a steady relationship, let alone marriage), the five married couples who are his best friends, and his three girlfriends. Unlike most book musicals, which follow a clearly delineated plot, Company is a concept musical composed of short vignettes, presented in no particular chronological order, linked by a celebration for Bobby's 35th birthday.

Company was among the first musicals to deal with adult problems through its music. As Sondheim put it, "Company does deal with upper middle-class people with upper middle-class problems. Broadway theater has been for many years supported by those people. They really want to escape, and here we're saying we'll bring it right back in their faces ... what they came to a musical to avoid, they suddenly find facing them on the stage.

Review By Vivienne McKone, NLNews 4.12.09

Dir: John Basham
Cast: John Stivey, Lindsay Berry, Katrina Boyd, Fiona Wilkie, Randy Smartnick, Sean Lydon, Alessandra Marshall, Craig Berry, Debbie Connor, Andrew Overin, Ceri Sims, Marc Folan, Caroline Fitch, Annemarie Fearnley

Completely Production’s well staged version of the musical 'Company' was humorous, sharp and entertaining, with a great cast all round that were entirely local!

Stephen Sondheim’s music and lyrics and George Furth’s play, was first performed in 1970, and it was one of the first musicals to deal with adult problems through its music.

The play is about a New Yorker, Bobby, on his 35th birthday who’s friends all rally around to give him a surprise party and also to persuade him to end his single lifestyle and settle down and get married, he has reached a stage where he doesn’t know where he is in his life, he has three girls on the go, the musical incidentally was originally called ‘Threes’, there is one girl, a dumb air steward played superbly by Katrina Boyd, another girl from New England played by Caroline Fitch who decides to go back to go back to get married to some-one else because she can’t wait around for him any longer, and the third girl, a wild New Yorker born and bred, played by Fiona Wilkie, who he finds fun to be with but not the type to marry.

All of his friends although they are married sing about the issues they have of their own, the songs are memorable with very clever lyrics especially when neurotic Amy played by Alessandra Marshall sings Getting Married Today where she gets cold feet on her wedding day.

Once again it was great to go to the lovely Bull Theatre which I was informed will be having lovely brand new seats put in in February of next year, again another great evening.