(seen at the afternoon performance on 25th September 2024)
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This show usually tells the story of a gay man and how his Dolly Parton obsession helps him through the 2020 lockdown and also breakdown of his relationship.
At this afternoon’s performance, neither Steven Webb nor his understudy Aidan Cutler were available to perform.
Saving the show, backing vocalist and understudy Dolly Parton, Charlotte Elisabeth Yorke, took over the lead role with just 2 hours notice.
This transformed the plot as “Kevin” became “Kelly” for the first time in the history of the show.
The theatremonkey report that follows will thus be less relevant to the usual show... but probably a unique record of an event in the production's history...
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Dumped and depressed, holed up in her childhood loft room in her parents’ home in the North of England. Facing 40, comedy career going nowhere fast and no sign of the 2020 lockdown ending any time soon.
Surrounded by posters of her lifelong idol, and with only a box of prescription anti-depressants and the most humungous jar of cheese balls in history (honestly, they can’t make one that size in reality, right?), Kelly (Charlotte Elisabeth Yorke) may not make it through.
A talking-into-her-scrubbing-brush comedy routine turns into despair until... her life-size poster of Dolly Parton (Tricia Paoluccio) springs into life. The pair spend the rest of the show chatting through their lifetime of trials and tribulations, with some great songs thrown in along the way.
The monkey imagines that the usual show centring on a gay man talking to Dolly is probably spikier and camper, a little more aggressive towards the ex, a larger gap in emotional understanding as a woman dissects a male / male relationship from her perspective. Probably effective, but also something done before.
With the casting emergency, an entirely different show emerges. Kelly and Dolly are aligned by womanhood, understanding collectively how women love. It makes the dilemma seem sadder, a betrayal of sisterhood.
Feelings are much more open and honestly expressed. Pain and the very female trait of trying to please everybody at their own expense are to the fore, making the show feel even more tragic.
Paoluccio (one of the authors, along with bruce Vilanch, Gabriel Barre and Brit advisor Jonathan Harvey) sings up a storm as Parton, getting full value out of “God’s Coloring Book,” “Me and Little Andy” and of course “I Will Always Love You” in particular, also dispensing homespun wisdom along the way.
The song arrangements are fun, Richard John and Jordan Li-Smith making good use of Paoluccio’s range, differentiating country rhythms to keep it interesting.
Yorke has the audience on side from her opening moments to the wonderful twist of fate ending. She makes a life-choice the audience applaud spontaneously, a tribute to how far we empathise and sympathise with Kelly.
Publicity led some to think this was going to be an all-out musical with huge ensemble and big dances. Instead it is almost a fringe theatre piece with just two leads augmented by four musicians who sometimes appear on stage to provide a little choreography, backing vocals and glitter (plus an ascending doll eliciting unintended giggles at the wrong moment).
It isn’t the most original story, perhaps, and it feels a little long with one or two too many early and obscure Parton numbers included. Apparently the show is also “anglicised” for the British market. The original takes place in Texas, with US references, but in its modesty of tone it is now English to the core.
Paul Wills comes up with a terrific eaves room with attic full of abandoned 90s toys above, and a novel food delivery system. Tom Marshall deserves note for excellent clear sound, while Tim Deiling knows how to transform an ordinary room into a disco at the flick of a light.
Hard for the monkey to be able to recommend future performances of this show with a male lead, as it cannot compare versions. What it can say is that Yorke is not only brave, but also brilliant, as this enforced change must bring an entirely new dimension to the show.
Instead of camp, gay male, we get a very tender woman to woman lesbian take that really is soft and gentle as a sigh, all the better for it. The producers should probably consider making it a full-time feature of the show, alternating versions for the rest of the tour.
Either way, Parton fans will love the music, everyone will appreciate a decently told story with a satisfying ending, performed with old-fashioned country music aplomb.
4 stars.
Photographs copyright Theatremonkey.com. Taken at the invitation of the cast during the final curtain calls.