Hello Dolly

This show, while being something of an old favourite in the theatrical repertoire, doesn’t seem to get as many airings on stage as once it did. It’s always nice to revisit shows which have lasted the test of time as there is usually a good reason for a show having a long shelf-life: it will be interesting to see just how many of today’s ‘must see’ shows - which societies seem to want to pounce upon the moment they are released for amateurs - have the staying power of some of the older shows which have, in some cases, fallen into a regrettable and bewildering slough of neglect. ‘Hello Dolly’ is a show which revels in its innocent joie de vivre and has a defiantly traditional and frothy atmosphere: no deep and meaningful ‘issues’ here and therefore the opportunity for a welcome break from the clenched fist and furrowed brow school of performance so beloved of today’s musicals. Instead, it was heartening to be able to settle into my seat and look forward to an evening of purely escapist entertainment of the best sort: well crafted, colourful and musically sumptuous fun in the always impressive Pendle Hippodrome Theatre.

‘Hello Dolly!’ is of course nothing without its Dolly Levi and Lesley Haworth was in fine form as always in this barnstormer of a role. Bringing a touch of ‘Mae West’ to the character was an interesting move, adding an extra layer of sassy bravado which was much appreciated. Vocally strong, the decision to keep Dolly up at the soprano end of the musical scale was interesting - and Lesley certainly can hit those high notes! - as while it certainly showcased the music and the skill of the vocal performance, I did think it took the edge off the character’s more earthy, roustabout tendencies. Nevertheless, a character such as this has to totally dominate the stage and this Lesley certainly did: commanding, confident and sounding superb, this was a role Lesley really made her own. The object of Dolly’s Machiavellian attentions, Horace Vandergelder (the well known ‘half millionaire’) was played by Steve Grist in a typically confident and assured fashion, again, vocally strongand with a surefooted charm. His two hapless employees, Cornelius and Barnaby were brought to life in a most engaging fashion by Josh Hindle and Lewis Bolton, two performers who have become a part of the local amateur dramatic landscape over the last few years and who have brought a welcome dose of both talent and enthusiasm to the stage. Both Josh and Lewis made light work of their charming roles and made the most of the humour of the piece, firmly planting themselves in the audience’s hearts and affections. Irene Molloy and Minnie Fay - the object of the boys’ affections - were brought to life by Sophie Nilon and Charlotte Stephens and again, assured and confident playing came naturally: with such a collection of talented players completing the central character line-up, the audience were in very safe hands.

I’ve always thought the roles of Ermengarde and Ambrose to be slightly underwritten and there can be a tendency to have them footle around aimlessly, forgotten and irrelevant to the narrative and brought on for occasional comic relief purposes. Sophie Greenwood and David Smith did remarkably well with these roles (Sophie’s shrieks in particular were superb!) breathing life into characters which can so easily be overlooked. Rosemary Osborne, peerless as always, provided a natty little cameo as Mrs Rose, Geoff Horn was the very picture of old world elegance as Rudolph, Maitre d’ at the Harmonia Gardens and Peter Hampson was the perfect choice to play the no-nonsense Judge who is nevertheless swayed by the highly emotional musical plea in his courtroom. Stealing the show from just about everyone else however, Fiona Thompson as Ernestina swept on stage with all the subtlety of a brick through a vicarage window. A fantastic role which surely made the set wish it could escape from the stage for fear of being eaten; such was the scenery chomping brilliance of Fiona’s hilarious performance. The company made good work of other smaller cameo roles and came together well in the chorus numbers with some interesting and well choreographed movement throughout the show.

Technically speaking, ‘Hello Dolly’ can be a very demanding show and it was pleasing to see that the society coped well with the tricky scene changes (a minor hiccough here and there was only to be expected and certainly didn’t impede the flow of the show) and I appreciated how the staging of this production managed to mix the best of the ‘old fashioned’ approach with a fresh veneer, really demonstrating an intelligent understanding of what works and what doesn’t on stage: director Stephen Burrows is to be commended for this, as well as much else in this successful production. Scenery was uniformly excellent, lighting was warm and unobtrusive and the costumes were terrific, everything together going to make a colourful and sumptuous feast for the eyes. I did feel the there was a problem with the sound however as there was an alarming tendency for passages of dialogue in particular to get lost or only partially heard: perhaps a problem with the acoustics or amplification? It seems a shame, as some scenes were quite badly affected by the inaudibility of some of the principal players. I did feel also that in certain cases, the musical routines could be a little cramped in their setting: ‘Elegance’ in particular - well moved though it undoubtedly was - was a little ‘scrunched-up’. With the width of the lovely Hippodrome stage to go at, I did feel that on occasion where routines and blocking were concerned, the cast could be a tad bunched together. 

Despite these minor gripes however, the show was full of many sparkling moments. The great ‘Waiters’ Gallop’ was very well done: some lovely movement from the men, supplemented with some suitably disguised ladies too, made it a great spectacle and full of humour too, woven as it was into the fabric of the narrative. I particularly enjoyed the song ‘Ribbons Down My Back’ due in no small measure to Sophie Nilon’s interesting performance: a lovely voice which had within it a kind of faltering hesitancy but which was full, rich and round when the brakes were taken off. I enjoyed that very much indeed. A uniformly excellent cast with no weak links; the super Act One finale with Lesley really exuding a bright and bold confidence as the curtain closed; ‘It Only Takes a Moment’ in the courtroom; the delightfully upbeat ending of the show which was acted beautifully; a finale and walkdown which was tender, amusing, colourful and more importantly, didn’t outstay its welcome… There were many highlights in this super production and I’m sure the many people in the large audience who went away with smiles on their faces and a song in their hearts would all have their own list of highlights too. My sincere thanks go to everyone at the Hippodrome: it is always a pleasure to attend a show at the theatre or to perform on the stage there and as a place is only ever as agreeable as the people in it, the good people at the Hippodrome are clearly doing something right! My thanks again and I look forward to my next visit.

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