Review of Here You Come Again at Milton Keynes Theatre

Four years down the round from a global pandemic the time has come finally for a comedy musical of the trying times and much like Kevin's experience in the show, who better to get you through it than... Dolly Parton. Arriving at Milton Keynes Theatre this week as part of a UK tour before landing in the West End, Here You Come Again is billed very much as a feel-good musical, so, do you feel good after watching it? The quick and easy answer is yes, however, much of the time during this incredibly quirky musical, you do wonder why and indeed what you are watching.

Here You Come Again sees Kevin, back trapped in his parents home isolating himself from them, the world and his failing relationship with Jeremy during the 2020 pandemic. He seeks solace, trapped in his attic, in memories of his constant love of Dolly Parton, and then at his most down moment, she comes alive and guides him as only Dolly and her back catalogue of songs can.

Originally written by Bruce Vilanch, Gabriel Barre and Tricia Paoluccio for an American audience debuting in 2022, British writer Jonathan Hervey has worked to make this UK tour more personable to a home audience. So, now we see reference to toilet roll surplus purchasing, clapping for the NHS, and, Yvette Fielding.

At times the script for Here You Come Again is a bit cringe, but, in a Dolly musical, maybe that doesn't really matter and you grow accustomed to the head-shaking moments. What is perhaps more of a challenge to get used to is the breaking of the fourth wall within a couple of minutes of the start. The initial thought perhaps that would-be comedian Kevin is performing to a fantasy audience, quickly turns out not to be the case as the show continues with awkward interactions with the crowd peppered throughout the show. It is a concept that doesn't really work and you tend to feel the show would be much better without it.

What does work though is the skills of the performers, both of the leads, Steven Webb as Kevin and co-writer Tricia Paoluccio as Dolly are superb, managing to get as much as possible from the occasionally wayward script. Webb is a tremendously versatile and likeable performer endearing himself to the audience easily and a natural comic and stage entertainer.

Paoluccio likewise is fabulous, getting the Dolly vibe and look to perfection. Her partnership with Webb is smooth and they are an excellent solid pairing, key, in what is in essence a two-hander. It could be said at times that Paoluccio is just doing a tribute act within a light-hearted shoe-horned story around it, but, that definitely would be doing a disservice to the show.

While the two main leads are in essence the cast, there is excellent support from the musicians and performers Charlotte Elisabeth Yorke and Austin Garrett as vocalists and additional characters, with Garrett in particular having an extremely funny moment as Kevin's boyfriend/ex Jeremey.

As ever with a jukebox musical, there is a mixture of fitting and crowbar use to get a song to fit from the catalogue of Dolly tunes. Hush-a-Bye Hard Times is a fair fit, Jolene is wedged in for laughs, Two Doors Down is given a nicely humorous political spin, and Love Is Like A Butterfly and I Will Always Love You are as always beautiful additions, and performed stunningly by Paoluccio. In addition to these numbers, 9 To 5 and Islands In The Stream are effortless crowd pleasers, with the latter giving Webb a very brief Kenny Rogers magic moment.

Paul Wills' set design is fabulous and a true star of the show as well. A glorious multifunctional and sprawling attic space filled with both childhood memories and Dolly memorabilia. Additionally, for the show, there is the delightful surprise of some magic moments created by illusionist Richard Pinner which are a lovely addition. Director Gabriel Barre brings a lightness to the show, allowing the performers a very relaxed style, meaning you don't see the directing, which is always a lovely thing.

It all ends with the now increasingly standard musical megamix that lifts the audience further and delightfully also gives the backing vocalists their moments in the spotlight showing the talents run deep within the cast. Without question, Here You Come Again is fabulous entertainment which delicately balances itself between musical and Dolly tribute night to leave the audience happy and uplifted as they leave the theatre.

A surreal but totally uplifting evening at the theatre.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Performance reviewed: Tuesday, 19th November 2024 at the Milton Keynes Theatre.

Here You Come Again is at Milton Keynes Theatre until Saturday, 23rd November 2024 before continuing its tour. Tour details at https://hereyoucomeagain.co.uk/

For further details about Milton Keynes see their website at http://www.atgtickets.com/venues/milton-keynes-theatre/

Production photos: Hugo Glendinning