Here You Come Again

Lockdown Hoedown

Here You Come Again, the Dolly Parton Musical

by Bruce Vilanch, Gabriel Barre and Tricia Paoluccio, adapted by Jonathan Harvey

Simon Friend Entertainment at the New Wimbledon Theatre until 22^nd February

Review by Thea Diamond

Written by Bruce Vilanch, Gabriel Barre (who also directs) and Tricia Paoluccio (who also stars as Dolly herself), Here You Come Again is truly a memorable night out, even for someone such as myself who felt quite the imposter surrounded by diehard Dolly fans.  I only knew a handful of her best known songs, but was left humming the hits and tapping my toes, despite being transported back nearly five years to the upheaval at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic (including the weekly ritual of banging pots and pans for the keyworkers). 

For some people, the lockdown was an idyllic time of baking with the kids and burning off the calories by doing the daily Joe Wicks workout.  But others weren’t so lucky, including Kevin, a forty-something singleton, having moved into his parents’ attic after extricating himself from a toxic situation-ship. 

Paul Wills’ whimsical attic set transports us back to Kevin’s childhood hangout, where his Spiderman bed-set and long abandoned toys are littered between the Christmas decorations and loft-typical tiny details such as an upside down cardboard box. 

Here we witness his isolation, along with the toil of incessant loneliness on his mental health, where he wallows in his back catalogue of failures and begins to self-medicate by downing a combination of red wine and cheese puffs.  His all-time lows are only lifted by his long-term idol Dolly Parton who appears in a puff of smoke through one of his posters.  She takes the role of his guardian angel, whose songs pepper the story, breaking up her eternal positivity and endless platitudes, encouraging Kevin to remember there’s always someone worse off than yourself.

We are left with the mystery of whether Dolly is some kind of complex hallucination, but what is undeniably real is Paoluccio’s faultless performance as her own lifelong inspiration.  She effortlessly embodies the timeless icon without this becoming a tribute act.  Her wispy voice and southern drawl combined with her no nonsense talk means that we can’t help but fall in love with her kindness and care.

Steven Webb puts so much energy into capturing the highs and lows of Kevin’s emotional rollercoaster.  His drag rendition (making full use of a chair combining Chicago imagery and Kenny Everett’s best possible taste skit) of banger Why’d You Come in Here Lookin’ Like That is a real highlight, as is his comic accompaniment to the well-known Dolly anthem Jolene.

Backing singers Aidan Cutler and Emma Jane Fearnley ably double up as secondary characters such as Kevin’s’ parents, his ex, and his ex-boss.  Band members Austin Garrett (Swing), Luke Adams (Guitar), Ben Scott (Drums) and Kevin Oliver Jones (Bass, Harmonica) seamlessly appear at pivotal moments in their matching outfits, providing live music to make this story come alive and move to the finale’s medley of Dolly’s classic songs.

Whether or not you are a Dolly superfan, or someone in search of a musical extravaganza, the story is relatable to those who struggled with loneliness and melancholy during lockdown, although for those who continue to grieve for lost loved ones, the references to Boris Johnson’s lockdown parties may hit too many raw nerves.

Thea Diamond, February 2025

Photography by Hugo Glendinning