Here You Come Again: Tricia Paoluccio walks, talks and sings so much like Dolly in a new musical

United Kingdom Here You Come Again: Cliffs Pavilion, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, 20.8.2024. (JPr)

Not sure what people were expecting from Here You Come Again at the Cliffs Pavilion as I thought the audience thinned out a little after the interval? It is described as a ‘new musical comedy’, but the rest of the publicity suggests a Dolly Parton tribute act show with ‘Featuring the hit songs Jolene, Islands in the Stream, I Will Always Love You, 9 to 5 and many more’. To be truthful it is an uneasy mix of both but – don’t get me wrong – it made me reflect on life (more than I expected I might), smile lots, laugh quite a bit, and enjoy being in the company – for well over two hours – of the two singing actors who make the show their own. It also sent me down memory lane to when I saw Dolly – the real thing – perform in London in 1983 and 2008.

The single set for Here You Come Again is the attic bedroom of Kevin Rutter isolating himself from his parents within the family home in Halifax at the height of COVID-19 in the summer of 2020. There are the chimneys of terrace houses on the skyline and Kevin’s room is piled high with memories of his childhood, as well as his record player and LP collection. Those records and the posters which cover the walls profess of his love for Dolly Parton.

Kevin’s first entry through a window (thanks to an unseen ladder) is preceded by the toilet rolls he is hoarding and cue jokes on lockdown and keeping hands and everything clean. Those odd times might be too painful for some and – to be truthful – don’t add much to the story of Kevin who perceives himself a failure in life and love. He works as a waiter in a comedy club, had the chance to perform his own act but circumstances meant he followed Peter Kay onto the stage and he bombed. Subsequently he gets sacked from his job. He is on a break in his relationship with his investment banker boyfriend Jeremy and feels as if his life is going nowhere.

Tricia Paoluccio who co-wrote Here You Come Again stars as Dolly and explains: ‘My whole life I have loved Dolly Parton. Ever since I was a little girl I listened to her albums and learned how to sing by copying her … as an adult, I always wished I could create a vehicle where I could share this ability and show Dolly’s incredible spirit in action … I always envisioned we could take this general story of a fantasy friendship with Dolly and adapt it to absolutely any location and with any type of character. Dolly is so universally known and loved, she could enter ANYONE’s attic and help to soothe your soul and change your mind!’ So that is how this Dolly Parton-approved new musical which began in the US has reached Westcliff-on-Sea via Halifax (thanks to Jonathan Harvey’s additional material) before a proposed West End run.

At the lowest point for the 40-something Kevin – with too much diazepam and wine within arm’s reach – Dolly bursts fairy godmother-like out of one of the posters and into his life singing the musical’s title song. She proceeds to recount the highs and lows of her rags-to-riches rise to fame and through her almost-infinite positivity does indeed soothe Kevin’s soul and change his mind pulling him out of his slough of despond! Though one of the biggest laughs is how sad some of her country songs actually are [spoiler alert: we hear the tearjerking Me and Little Andy].

The down-on-his-luck Kevin is brilliantly performed by understudy Aidan Cutler who is usually one of two backing vocalists. (What is the problem with the Cliffs Pavilion? It has a history of understudies on press nights.) Cutler is a tireless physical comic actor and impressive singer, and I wondered on occasions how much he was joining in with the singing as Kevin or as he usually has to.

Tricia Paoluccio is equally outstanding in bringing Dolly Parton to genuine life and costume changes show her at different times during her stellar career. Most importantly, there is a real chemistry between Dolly and this Kevin. She struts her stuff, talks and sings so much like Dolly that I had no trouble being transported back to London’s Dominion Theatre (1983) and its O2 (2008) when I saw the legendary singer-songwriter perform live.

Supporting Cutler’s Kevin and Paoluccio’s Dolly are Charlotte Elisabeth Yorke’s backing vocals, MD Jordan Li-Smith on keyboard, Alex Akira Crawford on guitar, Kevin Oliver Jones on bass and Ben Scott on drums, who together frequently join in the fun also singing on the stage as well as playing several parts such as Kevin’s parents, boyfriend, and boss.

There is a lot of entertaining breaking of the fourth wall and plot wise not a lot happens though Kevin gets a degree of redemption at the end when after finalising his split from Jeremy, he reconnects with a school friend who offers him a job in entertainment in Dundee, far from London where Kevin was hoping to make his name.

One quibble is that amongst all the songs you recognise there are several others shoe-horned into the musical which only the most die-hard Dolly fan in the audience will know and I certainly didn’t. It is no good trying to get us to our feet to sing and clap along at the end for Light of a Clear Blue Morning when hardly anyone seemed to know it.

Good fun was had by all nonetheless, but is it West End worthy, only time will tell.

Jim Pritchard

Cast:
Tricia Paoluccio – Dolly Parton
Aidan Cutler – Kevin

Musicians – Charlotte Elisabeth Yorke (backing vocals), Jordan Li-Smith (musical director/keyboard), Alex Akira Crawford (guitar), Kevin Oliver Jones (bass) and Ben Scott (drums).

Creatives:
Written by Bruce Vilanch, Gabriel Barre and Tricia Paoluccio (additional material by Jonathan Harvey)
Director – Gabriel Barre
Set and Costume designer – Paul Wills
Lighting designer – Tim Deiling
Sound designer – Tom Marshall
Musical supervisor – Richard John
Choreographer – Lizzie Gee
Illusions – Richard Pinner