Here You Come Again
Ghost of Dolly Parton anyone?
It’s fair to say we all lost our minds by the summer of 2020, but probably most of us didn’t start talking to Dolly Parton. Maybe we should have, because talking to Queen Dolly might have helped us all get through if' Here You Come Again' is accurate.
After several successful runs across the United States, Here You Come Again was originally written by two-time Emmy award-winning comedy and songwriter Bruce Vilanch with Gabriel Barre (who also directs) and Tricia Paoluccio (who also plays Dolly). It has now been adapted for the UK by acclaimed British playwright Jonathan Harvey (Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, and Coronation Street). Writers Vilanch (who wrote for the real Dolly’s eponymous primetime TV show), Barre (who also directs) and Tricia Pauluccio (who also stars) liken their creation to Mary Poppins in that this heightened character full of wisdom and confidence imparts valuable advice and then briskly departs. The likeness is fair, but it’s also worth noting the enjoyable likeness to other diva-worship stories like Little Voice and My Judy Garland Life which so beautifully tell of the influence stars have on those seeking escape from a difficult reality.
The premise is interesting. Kevin holed up in his parents house during covid gets a visit from Dolly Parton. Straight out of one of his posters, or his dreams, she appears when he’s at his worst and offers him some life advice as only Dolly can. With her wit, humour and charm, Dolly teaches him a whole lot about life, love and how to pull yourself up by your bootstraps even if your bootstraps don’t have rhinestones! This is one musical that is sure to make you smile.
It’s probably not the musical the pink cowboy hat-wearing crowd were anticipating. The show is a lot more serious than the Dolly-centric marketing might make out. At its best moments, it's an emotionally charged look at what isolation, lack of self-belief and the general weariness of navigating the world can do. The piece touches on mental health issues, sexuality and of course the impact of the pandemic. And does it mostly with sensitivity and heart.
The Dolly-themed musical includes all the hits such as "9 to 5," "Two Doors Down," "Islands in the Stream," and "Jolene," along with the fitting songs "Little Sparrow" and "Love is Like a Butterfly." Paoluccio performs the vocal selections exceptionally well, and by the time "Islands in the Stream" is played, it truly feels like a top-notch Dolly tribute concert. However, can you really do Islands in the Stream in Wales and not invoke a little bit of ‘Did Nessa and Uncle Bryn do it better?’
Nobody could, in fact, do Dolly better than Paoluccio. She truly channels the essence of Dolly, and the mini-concert at the end is testament to that. Her love for Dolly also shines through in the performance—it’s a tender, human version of the Dolly we all love that, while it’s not about her, also gives a very human insight into Dolly herself.
The centre of the story is, of course, Kevin. He is usually played by Steven Webb, but on press night at the Cardiff stop, he is played by Aiden Cutler, who usually accompanies Elisabeth Yorke as backing vocals/peripheral characters. Kevin’s character is a 40-ish gay man forced to return home to the North from London during lockdown. He contemplates where life has brought him in his parents' attic, surrounded by childhood memories. Cutler brings a mix of camp frivolity and heartfelt honesty. As said above there’s not one of us who didn’t reach some kind of mental breaking point during the darker days of the pandemic, whose time stuck at home didn’t lead us to question everything that had led us to that point, and so many whose relationships imploded- even if as in Kevin’s case it was for the best. Generally pandemic plays or musicals remain a bit of a red flag, but actually, here the show taps into the universality of questioning life choices, wondering where it all went wrong, and trying to start over that transcend that specific period and relatable and very human. Cutler brings brilliant camp humour to the performance that is also made all the more affected by his extreme vulnerability in the emotional moments- he doesn’t just play the camp one-liners, but shows us the hurt behind the bravado. It’s an emotionally satisfying arc when with Dolly’s help he rises above his ex-boyfriend’s games and gets to look forward to a future with someone from his past.
The musical might not be what people are expecting, and indeed, it seemed a slightly odd type of performance to be watching on the WMC mainstage—feeling more like a studio of Fringe-style performance. That said, if the Dolly Factor gets an audience to see this tender, heartwarming piece that centres a gay man’s story and one that goes beyond camp and drag…that’s no bad thing. A bit like the country music Dolly talks of, it hides deeper feelings and deeper meanings in its fluffy, fun exterior. Perhaps, too, audiences who came for some Dolly left with some reflections on life, mental health and the things that matter. That’s country music after all.
At Wales Millenium Centre until 31st August Tickets here.