Imelda Staunton on Hello, Dolly!: ‘Someone asked if I’m playing Dolly Parton’

Imelda Staunton has spoken about her excitement for returning to the West End stage, ahead of playing the title role in Dominic Cooke’s new production of Hello, Dolly! this summer.

Chatting during a press conference at the Palladium, where the production will play a limited season from 6 July to 14 September 2024, the multi-award-winning actor said she was thrilled to be taking on a lighter role following her work as Queen Elizabeth II in Netflix’s The Crown.

“Doing The Crown was very serious and challenging, and quite sad,” she said. “It’s lovely to now be embracing something that is really joyful and really funny. It’s been quite a long time since I did something funny.”

She added that previously she’s been more accustomed to playing “mad” women in musicals such as Sweeney Todd and Gypsy, whereas Dolly Levi is not driven by “anger and despair”.

Cooke spoke about the production, which was originally scheduled for 2020 at the Adelphi but was subsequently postponed by the pandemic, as a “regenerative story… an incredibly joyful show, which is about deciding to go back into life again after a period of sadness”.

Cooke’s version will feature a 40-strong cast and include the opening number from the 1969 movie, “Just Leave Everything to Me”, which doesn’t usually feature in the stage version, which premiered on Broadway 50 years ago. He revealed they asked special permission from writer Jerry Herman, shortly before he died in 2019.

The musical, by Herman (La Cage aux Folles) and Michael Stewart (42nd Street), is based on Thornton Wilder’s The Matchmaker. It follows the socialite Dolly Levi who tries to find love for herself and everyone she knows, and includes numbers such as “Put On Your Sunday Clothes”, “Ribbons Down My Back”, “Before the Parade Passes By”, “Elegance”, “It Only Takes a Moment” and “Hello, Dolly!”.

Staunton spoke about the importance of bringing an “old musical to a new audience”, and joked that someone had asked her, “are you playing Dolly Parton?”, adding with a smile, “I was very flattered.”

She also revealed that appearing at the Palladium brought back memories of watching Sunday Night at the Sunday Palladium as a child, as well as seeing performances by the likes of Josephine Baker and Bing Crosby. “To have this iconic building, with an iconic show, seems a perfect match,” she said.

Joining Staunton in the principal cast will be Andy Nyman (Fiddler on the Roof) as Horace Vandergelder, Jenna Russell (Flowers for Mrs Harris) as Irene Molloy, Tyrone Huntley (Jesus Christ Superstar) as Barnaby Tucker, Emily Lane (Frozen, Starter for Ten) as Minnie Fay and Harry Hepple (Follies) as Cornelius Hackl.

The production will have set and costume design by Rae Smith, choreography by Bill Deamer, lighting by Jon Clark, sound by Paul Groothuis, video by Finn Ross and musical supervision by Nick Skilbeck, with casting by Pippa Ailion.