Hello Dolly at The London Palladium

Hello Dolly is back in London nearly 60 years after its debut on the West End and the revival itself opened after a postponement as a result of the Covid pandemic. The musical tells of Dolly Levi, a widow, who makes her living through matchmaking, amongst other things. Whilst she has been employed to find a wife for Horace Vandergelder she decides that she wants to marry him herself and sets about making this happen at the same time as helping Vandergelder’s niece marry her artist boyfriend and Vandergelder’s clerks chat to women for the first time.

The show is unusual in so far as the leading lady is not a shy young woman falling in love for the first time, instead this show delights in the fact that the star of the show is not only a woman but a middle aged widowed one and even now this is an unusual story to see celebrated on our stage. The plot is upbeat and fun and whilst it is slightly predictable this doesn’t make it any the less enjoyable. At times the combination of dancing waiters, street cars on stage alongside a Parade may feel a bit bizarre but this show simply embraces the these elements and maes them even more joyful.

The show stands out partly due to it’s seller casting with Imelda Staunton taking the title role of Dolly and following in the footsteps of the likes of Carol Channing, Barbara Streisand, Bette Midler and Betty Buckley. Whilst these are big shoes to feel Staunton succeeds in making the role her own, from her witty one liners to her pleas with her deceased husband each moment lands tonally beautifully and she commands the stage with ease.

Alongside Staunton onstage we had Jenna Russell as Irene Molloy and Emily Lane as Minnie Fay who bounced off each other brilliantly and set up a huge amount of comedy for the show. Russell however ensures that she lends some weight to the part, that Molloy isn’t written off as simply a comedy role and her number ‘Ribbon’s Down My Back’ gives the character a real sense of longing.

Vandergelder’s Clerks Cornelius Hackl and Barnaby Tucker were played by Harry Hepple and Tyrone Huntley who were wonderfully endearing in their roles. Finally Dolly’s love interest Horace Vandergelder himself was played by Andy Nyman who treads the line between stereotype and sincere well.

The musical is full of nostalgia and harks back to days when musicals were grand and sumptuous and this show does not falter in that regard. The set design by Rae Smith is suitably grand and cleverly incorporates video design and the use of the travellator style floor works well when there are so many numbers which revolves around travel in this show. The costumes, also by Smith are beautiful to look at from the ladies gowns to the variety on show during the parade, all moving to enhance the choreography rather than restrict it.

Talking of the choreography this was a highlight of the show. By Bill Deamer the cast whirl and spin with mesmerising effect. The Polka contest in Act 2 is cleverly choreographed chaos and The Waiters Gallop gains rapturous applause. The ensemble execute each step with perfect elegant precision and are a delight to watch throughout.

Hello Dolly is a glorious production that shows sometimes what can be lacking in substance can be made up for in style and more than helped along by a cast that have both!

Hello Dolly is on at The London Palladium until 14th September. You can find out more and book tickets here.

If you like this review you might also like my review of Hadestown, Starlight Express and Guys & Dolls.

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