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The Unstoppable Rise of Ben Manager

 
Lily Crooke Review by Lily Crooke 3 Published: 6 Aug 2025 Pleasance Courtyard Show Dates: 30 Jul 2025-25 Aug 2025

This surreal dark comedy is sure to ring true for anyone who has ever questioned what they actually do in the office all day. Almost like a J. G. Ballard novel made into a musical, Jack Parris uncovers the absurdity behind corporate jargon and the blind desire for promotion in this new production, with a few catchy songs thrown into the mix. From presentations about wellbeing to KPIs and corporate jargon, The Unstoppable Rise of Ben Manager satirises the emptiness of office culture with irreverence and sharp wit.

A clever satire that exposes the emptiness at the heart of the corporate world

Just before he attends an interview for a big company, Ben Weaver sees a dead man outside the building. After taking the man’s lanyard, he transforms into Ben Manager and immediately gets the job. What follows is a dizzyingly Kafkaesque journey as Ben lands increasingly absurd promotions, mentally deteriorating as he progresses up the corporate ladder.

The Unstoppable Rise of Ben Manager cleverly literalises the idea of joining a corporate family and the office worker’s helpless vulnerability to the demands of their superiors, as Ben finds himself aggressively infantilised by his cheerfully sadistic CEO. The clinical CEO is played by Teele Uustani, who doubles as the puppetress for Ben’s sinister co-worker Derp. Parris is also supported by musicians Michael Coxhead, who plays guitar and uses a vocoder to voice other characters, and Adam Boothroyd, who creates the show’s vivid electronica soundtrack.

Despite a whole song dedicated to the corporate phrase ‘gaining traction’, the piece loses traction itself at times, getting caught up in its own absurdity and losing the keen-eyed satire of the elements more grounded in reality. The Unstoppable Rise of Ben Manager is a clever satire that exposes the emptiness at the heart of the corporate world. However, it lacks the humanity of The Office and you leave the theatre with the sense that this has been done before but better, whether by Kafka or more recent television shows like Severance and Industry.

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The Blurb:

Ben's eager to impress at his job interview, but on the big day he witnesses a mysterious death and picks up the victim's lanyard – just to keep it safe. What follows is an endless chain of promotions, but who does he work for and what does he actually do? Dark satire for anyone who's worked in an office, where 'gaining traction' means everything and nothing. Featuring surreal physical comedy, live music, and plenty of useless jargon. Think The Office, but David Lynch is your new boss. Winner of the Pleasance's Charlie Hartill Fund.