Here You Come Again
Fancy a grown-up evening out now that we’re all back into a routine? Go on you deserve it after surviving the Summer holidays! Here’s a suggestion: Go and see ‘Here You Come Again’ at The Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, which is showing now until 14th September.
Here You Come Again is a musical comedy set during the 2020 Covid lockdown. It includes Dolly Parton singing all of her hits! So if you’re a Dolly fan, it is one for you. And even if you’re not a big Dolly fan, the actual storyline is about ‘Kevin’ struggling in lockdown, so it is interesting to watch and reminisce, in a comical way, about that era that we all went through!
Starting with Kevin arriving home with stashes of toilet paper, disinfecting it all, and wishing himself a happy birthday while he washes his hands for 20 seconds; the audience immediately burst into laughter.
The deeper side of the storyline is that Kevin is on the wrong side of 40, he is having relationship issues and gets furloughed from work – being trapped at home alone (well, in his childhood room in his parent’s loft), he is struggling mentally, and that’s where Dolly Parton comes in. Kevin has been a lifelong fan; he has Dolly posters, memorabilia and vinyl’s all over his loft room, and during his struggle, Dolly comes to him and helps him through his darkest days.
For the Dolly superfans and for those who know just her most famous songs, the show is well-balanced. The Superfans will be singing along to everything, and everyone else gets to learn some interesting facts about her life and enjoy the famous hits of 9-5, Islands in the Stream, I Will Always Love You and Jolene. These are all sung throughout the show, with an upbeat concert medley at the end as well, where of course, most get up and have a dance to!
Dolly Parton is performed by Tricia Paoluccio, who also co-wrote the show during lockdown. She’s been a lifelong fan of Dolly Parton, so this show means a lot to her, I imagine, and I must say, she was a superb Dolly!
Kevin was played by the understudy last night, Aiden Cutler, who seemed perfect for the role, very funny, and a great singer too.
If you fancy giving this show a go, book your tickets here; Hurry it’s only there until Saturday and it’s going to the West End after this tour!
