The recent Manchester run of a Dolly Parton musical faced disturbing incidents of homophobic abuse from audience members, as shared by one of its lead actors.
Here You Come Again is a vibrant new musical that celebrates the hits of the iconic American country singer. After touring across the country, the show arrived in Manchester last week for a five-night engagement at the Opera House, which concluded yesterday (February 8).
The story follows a devoted fan of Dolly Parton, portrayed by Stevie Webb, and his fantasy version of the star, played by Tricia Paoluccio. Stevie took to his TikTok account to express his frustration over the disruptions caused by homophobic remarks from audience members during several performances, including two in Manchester.
He revealed that last night’s show at the Opera House required the ejection of a disruptive audience member, while the performance on Wednesday had to be paused for nearly 20 minutes due to another individual who shouted hateful comments. The musical is set to continue its UK tour in Sunderland later this week.
Stevie stated, “The number of audience members we’ve had to eject due to homophobia is astonishing. Just this week in Manchester, we had to remove someone who was yelling slurs during the show.”
He continued, “On Wednesday, we had to stop the entire show because a woman was appalled by the presence of a gay character on stage. She was shouting, which prompted other audience members to shout back, creating quite a scene. Eventually, she was ejected, and we were able to resume the performance.”
He added, “We were halted for about 15 or 20 minutes—it was unbelievable. This kind of behavior happens nearly every week, and it completely astounds me. After all, this is a Dolly Parton musical.”
Stevie reflected, “London had the worst incidents, which is surprising. I recall one man shouting the F slur, saying he didn’t come to watch ‘some f-ing f talk about his boyfriend’ but just wanted to see Dolly Parton. It’s baffling—this is a Dolly Parton musical, so of course, there will be LGBTQ+ themes.”
He continued, “This experience has really opened my eyes. We often exist in a bubble in this industry, but traveling the country has shown me how many people struggle to accept a gay character on stage. It’s astonishing.”
Stevie expressed sympathy for those who react negatively, saying, “It’s akin to having an irrational dislike for the color blue. It exists, it’s not going anywhere, and trying to escape it is futile. I feel sorry for them; they’re missing out on so much. If I reacted like that to the color blue, I’d eventually realize it doesn’t harm me—it’s just blue, and it doesn’t affect my life. Unfortunately, they don’t seem to reach that realization. It’s mind-boggling. Plus, read the synopsis! It’s a musical, and it’s a Dolly Parton musical. You’re in the wrong place if you can’t accept that!”