Tag Archives: Hugo Glendinning

HERE YOU COME AGAIN

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Riverside Studios

HERE YOU COME AGAIN

Riverside Studios

β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…

“an unexpected gem (or should that be rhinestone) of a show”

Should Dolly Parton ever fall on hard times, there is definitely a career for her as a self-help therapist. At least according to the feel-good musical β€œHere You Come Again”. The Country icon is given enough sugary lines to inspire the most misanthropic among us to cheer up and join in a group hug. The show is an undeniably cheesy affair, but bonkers enough to be brilliantly entertaining, camp, funny and toe-tappingly tantalising.

This is not a musical about Dolly Parton, although we do get a couple of superficial glimpses into her backstory. It is, in fact, about Kevin. It is the summer of 2020 and forty-year-old Kevin is back home, holed up in the attic of his parent’s house. The pandemic is in full swing and he is isolated with nothing to keep him company but his childhood memorabilia: Dolly Parton records and posters. Split up from boyfriend Jeremy and with his professional dreams unfulfilled, he is careering towards a mid-life crisis. β€œWhat would Dolly do?” he muses. Lo and behold, Ms Parton walks into his life out of his dreams. Or rather crashes into it, exploding from a poster on his bedroom door in a genie-like puff of smoke. Richard Pinner’s illusions are pretty impressive throughout.

Written by American comedy writer and songsmith Bruce Vilanch, with Gabriel Barre (who also directs), and writer and actor Tricia Paoluccio (who also stars as Dolly), it has been anglicised by Jonathan Harvey who provides additional material for the production’s UK run. Apparently it has also been wholeheartedly endorsed by Parton herself, so things are looking good. With the help of its two protagonists, things are looking great. It is an unexpected gem (or should that be rhinestone) of a show. β€˜Unexpected’ in the sense that its structure is a surprise, rather than expectations were low. It defies musical convention – no big ensemble; just Tricia Paoluccio as Dolly with Steven Webb as Kevin. It is a curious mix of stand-up, soap opera and jukebox musical. A live band wander on and offstage with backing vocalists also playing cameos as Mum, Dad and ex-boyfriend.

Paoluccio is a dead ringer for Dolly, especially vocally. Totally at ease, she handles the platitude-rich dialogue with good humour and an infectious energy, but it is when she bursts into song that she truly soars. Webb is magnificent as the struggling comedian, Kevin. Eccentric and neurotic, nerdy and needy, and self-deprecating, he knows the joke is on him. And although the jokes are often bad (intentionally so, we like to suspect) the couple have great fun with them. Their relaxed banter drives along smoothly until it reaches the exit slip road to the next musical number. The signposts are obvious and the dialogue becomes somewhat contrived. We are never allowed to forget that the show is a vehicle for Dolly Parton’s back catalogue. But, hey, why not? That’s the whole point, and the creators have found a unique and inspired framing device for such a recognisable repertoire. The favourites are all there, of course, along with a few lesser known hidden secrets.

Country music is notorious for shrouding intelligently bleak lyrics in an upbeat camouflage, a concept that spills over into the script – so that whenever the dialogue is at risk of becoming dark or deep, Dolly’s relentless optimism (or β€˜insufferable positivity’ as Kevin calls it) over-sweetens it with way too many spoonfuls of sugar.

You certainly don’t need to be a fan of Dolly to appreciate the show. In fact, even if you claim not to be (though I suspect you’re just in denial) I’d still urge you to see it. The sense of fun is intoxicating and the performances are exceptional. The personal touches they add to the songs are often hilarious too – their rendition of β€˜Jolene’ is worth the ticket price alone. We are even given a whirlwind medley of the greatest hits at curtain call, during which the show morphs into full-on gig mode. The crowds are now on their feet. This finale may have absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the show, but most of us have forgotten the plot by now. We’re just basking in Dolly’s light and forgetting our troubles. Kevin certainly has – he’s a whole new man. This is a joyous musical, but beware – you’ll be humming those songs well into the New Year.

 



HERE YOU COME AGAIN

Riverside Studios

Reviewed on 20th December 2024

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Hugo Glendinning

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:

DECK THE STALLS | β˜…β˜…β˜… | December 2024
THE UNSEEN | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | November 2024
FRENCH TOAST | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | October 2024
KIM’S CONVENIENCE | β˜…β˜…β˜… | September 2024
THE WEYARD SISTERS | β˜…β˜… | August 2024
MADWOMEN OF THE WEST | β˜…β˜… | August 2024
MOFFIE | β˜…β˜…β˜… | June 2024
KING LEAR | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | May 2024
THIS IS MEMORIAL DEVICE | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | April 2024
ARTIFICIALLY YOURS | β˜…β˜…β˜… | April 2024

HERE YOU COME AGAIN

HERE YOU COME AGAIN

HERE YOU COME AGAIN

 

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NEVER LET ME GO

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Rose Theatre

NEVER LET ME GO at the Rose Theatre

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“Despite being engaging, it is nowhere near as devastating as it should, or could, be.”

Back in 1997, the most famous sheep in the world grabbed our attention. Her name was Dolly. The first large mammal to be successfully cloned. Obviously, speculation about human cloning rapidly erupted. Fortunately, it has never been legalised, so it has always remained at the speculation stage, revolving around the obvious concerns of β€˜playing god’, interfering with the natural order of life, designer-babies, the β€˜rights’ of clones and the purpose of cloning. Kazuo Ishiguro took these questions by the horns for his 2005 science fiction novel β€œNever Let Me Go”, which takes place in an alternative reality at the end of the twentieth century in which human cloning is authorised for the elite as a means of providing vital organs for transplant. The clones are brought up in a boarding school, closely monitored to stay healthy, initially unaware of the purpose of their existence and inevitable shortness of life.

It was a captivating and unsettling story, and one that was always going to be difficult to adapt for other media. The film adaptation, although well received, was criticised for sanitising the subject matter and failing to capture the darkness. Suzanne Heathcote’s stage adaptation is aware of its limitations, so wisely shifts its focus to the more human story. Split into three parts, it starts with the characters at their country boarding school, called Hailsham, before they move into a kind of half-way house (the Cottages), and finally onto the third stage where they are sent to fulfil their purpose, and their organs are surgically removed one by one. The clones usually survive a couple of operations, never more than four. There are ways to prolong this pitiful life; either by becoming a β€˜carer’ for other clones or by proving that you are in love and the donations are deferred for a few years (however this latter privilege turns out to be merely a rumour).

Kathy (Nell Barlow) is a β€˜carer’, and the narrator of the story – in retrospect. We first see her with a new donor – Maximus Evans’ inquisitive Phillip – some years after Hailsham has been closed down. As Kathy reminisces, the past bursts through the doors of Tom Piper’s cleverly crafted set to swirl around the protagonist, pulling her in and out of the story in waves. Christopher Haydon’s direction makes wonderful use of this device giving us a clear indication of where and when we are. Similarly, the cast deftly shift between adulthood and childhood with their mannerisms and diction adapting to the age of their character.

At its heart is a love triangle. Kathy, Tommy (Angus Imrie) and Ruth (Matilda Bailes) are typical kids at first. Tommy and Ruth form an alliance, but the true attraction is between Tommy and Kathy. One that Ruth tries to put a wedge between. Bailes’ opinionated, slightly rebellious Ruth gives way to regret and remorse, while Imrie’s bad-tempered, big-hearted Tommy rages against the injustices, not so much of love, but of fate. Sitting comfortably in the auditorium, it is near impossible for the audience to envisage how it must be to live this kind of life. Unfortunately, the play doesn’t draw us much closer. Despite being engaging, it is nowhere near as devastating as it should, or could, be. At over two hours long there is plenty of opportunity to cut right into the heart of the subject matter, and its emotional fall out. But the incisions are skin deep, and the true ethical issues are glossed over. The second act is more successful. The deceptions hurled onto the young clones are revealed, which shines a mirror up to society’s alleged treatment of minorities and the subject of exploitation. Susan Aderin, as the hardened and pragmatic schoolmistress, sheds light on the warped reasoning behind the false optimism fed to the clones. But again, the horror gets blurred through the long lens of exposition. Although she convinces us that the clones do have souls like the rest of us, the play, as a whole, lacks a real heart or soul.

Like Ishiguro’s original haunting novel, the play is no less relevant. The title comes from a fictional song within the story. We hear pre-recorded snippets of it, sung soulfully by Marisha Wallace, but are never allowed to let it completely wash over us. β€œNever Let Me Go”, without a true sense of the love, loss, hope, and desire inherent in the title, doesn’t quite engulf us either. However, we are still given plenty to think about, and can enjoy the challenging conversations it inevitably triggers in the bar afterwards.


NEVER LET ME GO at the Rose Theatre then UK Tour continues

Reviewed on 24th September 2024

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Hugo Glendinning

 

 


 

 

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:

SHOOTING HEDDA GABLER | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | October 2023

NEVER LET ME GO

NEVER LET ME GO

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