HERE YOU COME AGAIN the Musical announces West End run

Having enjoyed several successful runs across the United States, Here You Come Again was originally written by multi-Emmy award-winning comedy and songwriter Bruce Vilanch with Gabriel Barre (who also directs) and writer and actor Tricia Paoluccio (who co-writes and stars as Dolly). It has now been adapted by acclaimed British TV and theatre writer Jonathan Harvey (Gimme, Gimme, Gimme and Coronation Street). Full casting to be announced.

Packed with the iconic songs Jolene, 9 to 5, Islands in the Stream, I Will Always Love You, Here You Come Again and more, this lively and touching new musical tells the story of a diehard fan whose imagined version of international icon Dolly Parton gets him through trying times. With her wit, humour and charm, Dolly teaches him a whole lot about life, love and how to pull yourself up by your bootstraps…even if your bootstraps don’t have rhinestones! This is one musical that is sure to make you smile.

Following its opening at Leeds Playhouse, where it plays from Saturday 11 May to Saturday 8 June, Here You Come Again then visitsCurve Theatre, Leicester; Theatre Royal, Newcastle;Cunard, Queen Mary 2;Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury; Theatre Royal, Nottingham; Playhouse Theatre, Liverpool; Cliffs Pavilion, Southend; Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff; Theatre Royal, Brighton; Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham; Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield; Richmond Theatre, Richmond; King’s Theatre, Glasgow; Theatre Royal, Norwich; New Victoria Theatre, Woking and Milton Keynes Theatre.

Director Gabriel Barre said: “We are so excited to bring this gem of a show to the UK, following its successful regional tour in America. Setting it in the UK with a brilliant new British actor playing the lead role of Kevin, along with a creative UK design team, gives us a chance to take a fresh approach to a story that features all of Dolly’s biggest hits, along with her wit and wisdom, which the world needs today, more than ever. She will be gloriously brought to life by the American actor, Tricia Paoluccio, who has been stunning audiences everywhere, embodying the spirit, humour, and heart that have made Dolly an enduring icon.”

Producer Simon Friend adds: “I’m delighted to be co-producing the UK premiere of Here You Come Again with the team at Leeds Playhouse. It’s a marvellously original and joyous new musical which celebrates the timeless classics of Dolly Parton, and lets us indulge in her biggest hits for a wonderful evening of theatre.”

Artistic Director and CEO of Leeds Playhouse James Brining said: “It is fantastic to be co-producing this joyous and heartfelt musical. We can’t wait to welcome the wonderful team to Leeds, to have the Playhouse filled with the sounds of Dolly and to share this incredible production with audiences across the UK after its run in Leeds.”

Bruce Vilanch is a writer, actor, comedian and stripper (accepting all offers, bitcoin only). In America, he was featured for many years on Hollywood Squares sitting to the left of Whoopi Goldberg, if that's possible. He has a nook of multiple Emmy awards, two of them for a pair of the 25 Oscar telecasts he has written. On Broadway and across America he sang, danced and ironed as Edna Turnblad in Hairspray. There is a documentary about him called Get Bruce, which is worth re-activating your Netflix account for. Several decades ago, he collaborated with Dolly on a massive Sunday night variety TV series which hit a ratings iceberg and plunged to the depths. They both survived. Here they come again.

Gabriel Barre’scredits as a Director include,Broadway: Amazing Grace. Off Broadway: original productions of A Sign of the Times, The Wild Party by Andrew Lippa, Summer of ’42, john & jen and Almost, Maine. National Tours: Amazing Grace, Pippin, and Cinderella. Regional: original production of Memphis, Billy Elliot, Sweeney Todd, Finian’s Rainbow, Here You Come Again. International: Sound of the Silk Road, Billy Elliot, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Holmes-The Legend, Jesus Christ Superstar, Carmen, Czech premiere of Beetlejuice this year.

Tricia Paoluccio, born on a picturesque almond farm in Modesto, California, is a versatile artist known for her Broadway performances in Fiddler on the Roof, The Green Bird and A View from the Bridge. Inspired by Dolly Parton, she has graced both Broadway and Off-Broadway stages, showcasing her range. Tricia's acting extends to television with recurring roles in Saint X and Homeland, among others. Beyond acting, she is a celebrated visual artist, transforming pressed flowers into high design. Explore her creative world on Instagram @triciapaoluccio and @domainoftheflowerings.

For theatre, Jonathan Harvey has written over 20 plays that have been produced by the Bush Theatre, Royal Court, National Theatre, Hampstead Theatre, and in the West End. Last year saw the 30^th anniversary of his landmark play Beautiful Thing, co-produced with Leeds Playhouse. He has also written two musicals with Pet Shop Boys and one celebrating the life of Dusty Springfield. Last year also saw a five-month tour of his panto Mother Goose starring Ian McKellen and John Bishop. For TV Jonathan created the sitcoms Gimme Gimme Gimme and Beautiful People and has written over 300 episodes of Coronation Street.

His work has won him a Writers Guild of Great Britain Award, the John Whiting Award, the George Devine Award, an Evening Standard Theatre Award, two Manchester Evening News Awards and two British Soap Awards.