London Palladium
Playing until 14th September 2024
Photo credit: Manuel Harlan
Review
{Gifted ticket by London Box Office in return for an honest review}
Uplifting, witty and fearless, Hello, Dolly! is a show that truly stands the test of time. With Dolly Levi (Imelda Staunton), (a masterful fixer-upper, matchmaker and self-proclaimed ‘meddler’) at the helm, the musical follows her foray into finding a wife for the wealthy Horace Vandergelder (Andy Nyman). In addition to improving the lives of the young around her, Dolly decides to grab life by the horns and shed her widow status by plotting to make Horace ask her to marry him and share his wealth with the town. It is a true rarity for a 1960s musical to carry such a powerful female lead, and it is a joy to see such a classic brought to the magnificent Palladium stage with such vigour.
The curtain rises and Staunton is poised looking majestically out of a window, a beautiful and elegant tableau that itself receives a hearty round of applause. This sets the tone for the rest of the show: sophisticated and highly polished.
Visually stunning, Rae Smith’s set and costume design transports us into a technicolour Victorian world, bringing that good old sense of theatricality whilst keeping true to the period (well, aside from some campy colours). Some particular highlights include a working train and tram carrying the cast on stage as well as freestanding restaurant ‘booths’ enveloped with open-and-shut curtains that provide lots of visual gags. The treadmill on stage also works brilliantly to dynamically incorporate walking through New York into the show, which is a key element to the narrative.
The band produces a full, bounteous sound and is noticeably responsive to the soloists, demonstrating a real symbiosis between the musicians and the cast, which always makes a musical far more polished as a result. Hello, Dolly! isn’t particularly a ‘singer’s musical’ - the melodies are quite simple and doesn’t as many songs as some contemporary musicals; however, as she does in every musical role, Staunton brings sensitivity, nuance and depth to each melody that makes it flourish. Nyman, Jenna Russell, Tyrone Huntley, Henry Hepple, Emily Lane and Emily Langham bring the same gravitas, illustrating acting-through-song to a tee.
Dominic Cooke’s direction kept the nostalgia whilst injecting a modern energy into the show, bringing it to life. Each scene was both visually pleasing (the placement and spatial awareness of characters on such a large stage is crucial in large-scale musicals) and had brilliant comedic timing. The show flew by and my attention was captured throughout. Perhaps my one critique is of some characters’ American accents which definitely aren’t airtight. A standout scene is in the restaurant, where Irene Molloy (Russell) and Minnie Fay (Lane)’s blissful ignorance meets Cornelius Hackl (Hepple) and Barnaby Tucker (Huntley)’s sheer panic, Vandergelder’s rage and Dolly’s calm, interspersed with flamboyant and athletic dancing waiters. It’s the recipe for the perfect farce, and Cooke certainly delivers. In the first act, some more unique or surprising choices could have been made in the more old-fashioned slapstick scenes, but frankly, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
A real highlight is the choreography. Bill Deamer combines classical musical theatre jazz movement with cheeky twists in each number like sassy toe tapping and Beyoncé moves. When many ‘big’ musicals falter by incorporating overly-busy choreography that distract from the singer, the choreography and the dancers’ execution in Hello, Dolly! are both technically impressive and neat. In particular, the musical numbers ‘Put On Your Sunday Clothes’ and ‘Waiters Gallop’ demonstrated extremely impressive stamina and synchronicity. Deamer’s work brings great energy and a sense of freshness to revive the musical for a contemporary audience.
It would be a crime not to mention the shining jewel of the show which is Imelda Staunton as Dolly. She oozes with effortless charisma and a quiet confidence. She embodies the role with ease and it is a joy to watch. In particular er performance of ‘Hello Dolly’ took my breath away and ‘So Long, Dearie’ really made me giggle.
Creatives
Book: Michael Stewart
Music and Lyrics: Jerry Herman
Director: Dominic Cooke
Set & Costume Designer: Rae Smith
Choreographer: Bill Deamer
Lighting Designer: Jon cLARK
Sound Designer: Paul Groothuis
Video Designer: Finn Ross
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