Dolly gives Sheffield a sprinkling of fabulousness as she comes to town! With 15 for Dolly Parton’s well-known songs used to offer hope and joy even if her genre of music is about tragedy! This musical is a far cry from the expected sprawling life story of the Tennesse Icon but instead is a simple heart-warming story of belief of one’s self and the magic of a ‘cup of ambition’!
Written during the 2020 global pandemic and lockdown, writers Bruce Vilanch, Gabriel Barre and Tricia Padluccio (the cast’s very own Dolly Parton) mused what it would be like hunkered up at that time with Dolly Parton and thus the idea was born. Directed by Barre and primarily a two-handed piece of theatre, Kevin is a 40 something whose life is a mess, he is on an enforced ‘break’ from his partner Jeremy and subsequently ends up back in his old attic bedroom at Mum and Dad’s. Filled with teenage dreams and memories, the attic is lined with the posters of his favourite singer Dolly Parton. Without contact with the outside world, wannabe and failed comic Kevin talks to his heroine about the predicament he finds himself in. With additional material written by Jonathan Harvey, the British humour is palpable in the production with geographical and cultural references galore and as Kevin – the everyman – is a figure we all can relate to… our own life and one we all dwelt on and self-analysed during the solitude of ‘lockdown’. From toilet rolls to banging pots and pans for the NHS to those ‘office parties’ and online meetings! The fourth wall is broken down immediately and remains so throughout, in the hands of a less capable performer this could become trite, but this was not the case, as Aidan Cutler’s Kevin had facets galore and oozed mastery in role. Although one slight eyebrow lifter would be the iconic Jolene in Act One where Kevin’s antics are rather…. peculiarly exaggerated? Maybe a little tweak needed here…?
The set and costume really does take centre stage in this production. Paul Willis creates a ‘Mary Poppins like’ environment including magic aplenty. The Illusions in the production are by Paul Pinner and add to the sense of fantasy amongst the realism. There are some lovely little surprise moments! A very full and crowded attic space with detail galore of toys, gadgets and furnishing, one you could scrutinise and find something nostalgically fascinating for a whole evening. The ‘Mary Poppins feel’ is continued with the magical appearance through a poster of Tricia Padluccio as Dolly, like the fairy godmother who arrives to point you in the right direction with eternal ‘Dollylike’ optimism and costumes and wigs that scream the different eras of her songs. Padluccio really does have it all, the look, the mannerisms, and the voice of Dolly, she is totally believable on character and is instantly likeable in an innocent type of way. Her rendition of ‘God’s Colouring Book’ was stunningly beautiful and the lighting design by Tim Deiling gave the whole ambience one of mystical serenity. In contrast ‘Me and Little Andy’ shows Dolly’s sense of humour and is a welcome contrast to add another dimension. The chemistry between the two characters is electric and Cutler’s comedic antics of initial disbelief and then onto a journey from self-pity to a new direction are a contrast to the outward looking and eternal optimism of Dolly.
The ‘in character’ band appear in the rafters of the aforementioned Attic with Jordan Li-Smith on keys, Luke Adams on Guitar, Kevin Oliver Jones on Bass and Ben Scott on Drums and are acknowledged by the cast. Under the Musical Supervision of Richard Pinner the band add much to the production and are joined by Charlotte Elisabeth Yorke and Austin Garrett as backing vocalists. The sound/harmonies are wonderful to hear and the sound design (Tom Marshall) and its quality was perfect on the evening I saw the show.
The second Act moves more swiftly than the first and has the more popular songbook including 9-5, Islands in the stream and I will Always Love you – all crowd pleasures and used cleverly to show Kevin the way forward. It was pretty obvious from the start of the production that this show would have a happy ending!
I really did not know what to expect from this production, but I really liked it. It felt fresh, something a little different from the standard Musical Theatre offering. It really worked – being simple and sweet yet poignant and powerful, also nostalgic but new in its storytelling and above all it was entertaining and exuberant. You can catch the tour of Here You Come Again at Sheffield Lyceum until Saturday 21st September 2024. A must of Dolly Parton fans and an evening when realism meets fantasy, and we can be whatever we want to be. Our own happiness is our own responsibility!
Reviewer: Tracey Bell
Reviewed: 17th September 2024
North West End UK Rating: