Hello, Dolly! – The leading ladies who came before Imelda Staunton

As Hello, Dolly! prepares to lift the curtain on opening night at The London Palladium, we’re looking back at the wealth of talent that came before the much-anticipated turn of Imelda Staunton.

Originally premiering on Broadway in 1964, the hit musical by Jerry Herman and Michael Stewart follows matchmaker Dolly Gallagher Levi as she travels to New York.

Internationally and across the pond, star performances have come from the likes of Carol Channing, Ginger Rogers, and Pearl Bailey, as well as Bette Midler and Bernadette Peters in a glitzy 2017 revival. But for the sake of this list, we’re keeping it to professional UK productions.

Mary Martin. Theatre Royal Drury Lane, 1965

Martin was the first to play Dolly in the UK after, like Ethel Merman, famously turning down the role on Broadway. Prior to landing in London, she took the show on the road across the US and Asia. Away from Dolly, the multi-award winner originated iconic roles including Nellie Forbush, Maria von Trapp and Peter Pan.

Dora Bryan. Theatre Royal Drury Lane, 1966

Bryan took over the role from Martin in the West End before reprising it on a Paul Kerryson directed tour in 1989. She went on to make her Broadway debut in Pygmalion and continued to appear on stage and screen.

Barbra Streisand. Movie, 1969

Okay it’s not strictly UK stage but we couldn’t write about Hello, Dolly! and not include Barbra Streisand! Written by Ernest Lehman and directed by Gene Kelly, Streisand’s performance is one for the history books – despite her being so much younger than the role at the time.

Carol Channing. Theatre Royal Drury Lane, 1979

The show’s original Broadway star headlined the West End’s first-ever revival in 1979 after her Tony-winning turn. Her full career includes comedy, film (she won a Golden Globe for her performance in Thoroughly Modern Millie) and TV, as well as stage. She played Dolly on Broadway for the final time in 1995.

Danny La Rue. Prince of Wales Theatre, 1984

Just a few years later, another revival of Hello, Dolly! arrived in the West End. This time featuring its first-ever drag artist, Danny La Rue, in the title role. The Ireland-born entertainer was famed for his impressions and was a pantomime favourite.

Anita Dobson. UK tour, 2008

When the musical was next seen, it was on tour with Dobson. The Eastenders star was joined by Darren Day and David McAlister. Since then, she has made her RSC debut and appeared in Wicked and Fiddler on the Roof.

Samantha Spiro. Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, 2009

The open air revival received great acclaim, picking up the Olivier Awards for Best Musical Revival and Best Choreography for Stephen Mear. Spiro won her second award for the role, and has most recently been seen on screen in Game of Thrones and Sex Education.

Janie Dee. Curve, Leicester, 2012

The multi-award-winning actress has appeared in big musicals including Carousel, Follies, Cats and more. Most recently she paid tribute to Stephen Sondheim in the West End’s Old Friends revue. Dee spent Christmas in Leicester starring in Hello, Dolly! – which was also directed by Kerryson!

Imelda Staunton. London Palladium, 2024

After years of waiting, Hello, Dolly! finally returns to the West End with Staunton front and centre. The production opens officially at The London Palladium this evening, 18 July, reuniting the stage and screen titan with director Dominic Cooke, following their production of Follies at the National Theatre in 2017. Tickets are on sale below.