Imelda Staunton (68) shares her joy at bringing Hello, Dolly!back to the stage and being mistaken for Dolly Parton
WORDS: ALISON JAMES
With a rare talent that enables her to move seamlessly from serious dramatic parts to comedy and larger-than-life musical theatre roles, Imelda Staunton is one of our most versatile actresses.
Nowhere is this better illustrated than in how she’s making the transition from playing the late Queen Elizabeth II in the final two series of Netflix’s The Crown – a role which she has said was particularly challenging to play, especially after Her Majesty’s passing in September 2022 – to treading the boards of the London Palladium in the guise of Dolly Levi in the musical Hello, Dolly! which opens this summer.
Whereas our beloved late Queen was a stoic, logical pragmatist who played her cards very close to her chest, fictional match-making widow Dolly is uber-bubbly, blousy, garrulous and gossipy.
In every respect, they are light years apart and yet Imelda tells us that, in some ways, she has taken inspiration from playing Queen Elizabeth in order to take on Dolly.
“The late Queen made a commitment to us and always did what she said she would do,” Imelda says. “She always showed up and never let us down.
“I hope it will be the same with me and Hello, Dolly!. We’ll be doing eight shows a week for 10 weeks, which is a serious commitment.
“Of course, Her Majesty’s ‘run’ was the longest of all. The principle is the same, though. You turn up when you’re meant to – no matter what. We all have bad days but you just get on with it. That’s your job. Your responsibility.”
Imelda seems to be thriving on the responsibility of playing Dolly, who was last played in the West End by Danny La Rue in the early 1980s. She’s certainly loving rehearsals.
“We’re getting it up and cooking, and I feel incredibly lucky to be doing it! It’s so lovely to be in a place of joy, and that’s what this show is.
“The Crown was something else altogether. It was very challenging, serious and also quite sad. Dolly is utterly joyous – and that’s a very nice place to be. Especially at the moment when we all need a bit of an uplift.”
Performing Hello, Dolly! at the Palladium also has extra-special resonance for Imelda.
“As a child, I loved watching Sunday Night at London Palladium. So to be in the same theatre and on the same stage as all the
