Hello, Dolly! - London Palladium (2024)

Does she? She comes down the staircase in green? Wow. 

Yes well she is Dolly GALLAGHER Levi. And Staunton's parents were Irish, so there's a connection there. Tovah Felshuh is the only American actress to play it Irish in its musical theatre context, I believe. 

It’s green. Her ‘finale’ costume is red.

Anyone who has been this week can you tell me if she is still getting a standing ovation for the Hello Dolly number?

I am there, front row, on Tuesday night.

This is also a very limited run- it ain’t gonna compare in scale to that.

I was in B31 in stalls. Avoid this seat like the plague. A piece at the side of the stage obstructs view completely at times. - And yes I know it is classed as severely restricted! Fortunately the two gentlemen I was sitting next to insisted I move into an empty seat the other side of them for Act 2. So thankful.

Not on Tuesday!

View from A3 stalls was far better than I was expecting. As previously mentioned A2 is just about acceptable but no point taking your seat if in A1 which really should be off sale. Lot's of positives about the production but negatives in equal number. No passerell - obviously for a short run too costly. Scenery I didn't particularly miss anything from A3 as nothing apart from the train had much visual impact. Orchestra are wonderful. Choreography disappointing in Dancing and Waiters Gallop. For the title number the staircase was from the side, no curtain reveal of Dolly in her attire (which incidentally is a green dress) with Imelda visual walking up onto the platform waiting to go out to descend the angled stairs. The set design for Harmonia Gardens was awful with two ridiculously cramped booths either side of the stage which required the constant requirement of the actors to pull the open and close chord. Thunderous applause at the end of Hello, Dolly! but no standing ovation as something was lost in the staging which prevented it being the showstopper it has now become. Perhaps I have seen the bootleg and excerpts of Bette's Hello, Dolly! too many times as no denying we will never see a production the likes of again as it was perfection befitting of its star. Imelda's Dolly has a smile as broad as smile as wide as the Palladium stage and a warmth which fills the auditorium. Watching her a total joy throughout which only on reflection afterwards you realise how her presence alone makes this unmissable for musical theatre fans as too are all around her on that stage with a special nod to Harry Hepple who makes something of Cornelius which was always missing before. Critics will love it and deservedly so will heap praise on Imelda but I will cherish memories of previous productions more over this one.

There is a God!

And yes, those dancers deserve all the medals (and cooling towels/hand fans!).

Lucky to have seen both, and they are completely different beasts in terms of what they’re trying to do.

Broadway was all out entertainment, with moving moments, but seemed to focus purely on giving the audience (and performers) a phenomenal night out at the theatre. Fast paced, hilarious, and anarchic.

Staunton/Cooke’s was never going to recreate that, or, indeed, try to. Here it is psychological detail (amidst the colourful costumes) and a laser focus that this is a widow in grief. When you start (and they literally start the show with ensuring the audience get that) from there, there IS room to move away from that, but they consistently come back to it:

This is the story of a woman in grief.


So, don’t go expecting the once-in-a-lifetime experience of the recent Broadway show. This is a different take.

It works.

But it’s a different take, because of Staunton/Cooke.