Hello, Dolly! - London Palladium (2024)

[unseaworthy]

Obviously, there is not much more to say about this production. It is truly glorious, best show of the year, possibly best show of the decade. Anyone who misses it, will live to regret it. Completely magnificent.

The problems for me were with the theatre. Not for the first time, the Palladium felt very short staffed and the people working there did not have customer service at the top of their agendas. There was a customer near me who had access needs and was ignored and then screamed at, while other staff members were totally out of their depth. Stage door was terrifying, no barriers, no order, just one security guard on his phone. People spilled out covering half the road, cars had to swerve to avoid them. I left as it was too scary. It seems crazy that the London Palladium has no procedure in place to keep its patrons safe.

LW Theatres need to do better.

Hello Dolly deserves better.

[frankubelik]

Whilst I am in the minority about the production and casting, I completely echo the appalling FOH staff at the venue. Maybe we should start a thread on the West End's worst run venues? Palladium and Savoy for starters..................

[danb]

I think a lot of it is to do with the architecture of both buildings. Having three specific doors into the Pal only works if you know where you’re sitting; and given todays levels of self-involvement it is quite a lot to ask of people to check before lining up 🤣.

…and the Savoy is just a tiny rabbit warren before you hit the magnificent auditorium. I wouldn’t like to have to shepherd anyone around either building and would most likely get similarly cranky or apathetic of such a public, being asked the same ?’s constantly when the answers are written on a sign less than 4 feet away from someones head.

[greenandbrownandblue]

Just to add a counter view, I found all the staff at the Palladium very pleasant on Wednesday. Now maybe it was because I know my way around the building and knew where I was sitting so didn't have to ask anything, but everyone I spoke to was polite and cheery.

[frankubelik]

Forty years of Theatre going means I am (probably over) familiar with West End houses yet am constantly amazed at the lack of warmth, greeting, service and knowledge displayed by staff.

[SilverFox]

Aug 3, 2024 7:56:17 GMT danb said:

I think a lot of it is to do with the architecture of both buildings. Having three specific doors into the Pal only works if you know where you’re sitting; and given todays levels of self-involvement it is quite a lot to ask of people to check before lining up 🤣.

…and the Savoy is just a tiny rabbit warren before you hit the magnificent auditorium. I wouldn’t like to have to shepherd anyone around either building and would most likely get similarly cranky or apathetic of such a public, being asked the same ?’s constantly when the answers are written on a sign less than 4 feet away from someones head.

Those two theatres are today the legacy of rebuilding and changing attitudes. The LP is a bit of an anachronism in that it was rebuilt in 1910 (retaining parts of the original structure) in the dying days of class separation - the toffs were shielded from the riff-raff. WW1 is usually the point agreed on the start of the unification of facilities, some theatres like the Old Vic have completely remodelled the front-of-house to provide access for all to all levels, this is not so easy in larger theatres. Cameron Mackintosh was fortunate in being able to significantly extend the footprint of the Victoria Palace recently.

The original Savoy was older (1881), built on a hill, and contained loads of obstructive pillars, the main entrance was in Carting Lane, off Savoy Place / Embankment, giving near level access to the stalls. This was augmented with a new entrance in the much more prestigious Savoy Court in 1903 (right by the Savoy Hotel entrance). It was rebuilt internally in 1929, at which point the old main entrance was abandoned (but still survives if you look). This resulted in everyone entering at balcony level (cheap seats) and then descending to the dress and stalls levels - the Criterion, for different reasons, is I believe the only other West End theatre with this arrangement.

Both were built when the prime aim was to get patrons into the theatre as quickly as possible, bars and merchandising were not considered money-makers - the Play was the thing! Both were constrained by buildings / roads on all sides, though the LP did later incorporate Haig's Wine Merchants on Argylle Street (now the unusually long box office), and a house in Great Marlborough Street (now the stage door). Both were designed to accommodate more than they currently do (the LP had a stated capacity on opening of 3,435, many on bench seating, now 2,298 - the Savoy 1,274, reduced to 1,138 in 1929, 1,158 after the 1991 post fire restoration).

Heritage listing is often given as a reason for inability to adapt, which is true only up to a point. It requires jumping through more hoops, but all the theatres mentioned here are grade 2* listed (particularly important buildings of more than special interest - only around 5.5% of all listed buildings) and the changes made to the Old Vic and Victoria Palace demonstrate that listing per se is not an absolute barrier.

Both the LP and the Savoy have circulation problems. I imagine it is a lot easier for the f-o-h staff to direct people when all levels are accessible from the main entrance, and as danb implies the public can try the patience of a saint. Plus, each entrance needs staffing - a significant running cost for the venue.

 

[alece10]

I do feel I have to stick up for the FOH staff at the Palladium. I have access requirements and the staff are always really helpful and friendly. I go to quite a lot of the concerts there as well as the shows and they always go out of their way to help. In fact, I find LW Theatre staff to be amongst the best and have written in several times to thank them.
I know everyone's experience can be different but just wanted to put my side across.

[marob]

But they don’t actually have to have segregated entrances do they? I only finally got a smartphone after the pandemic when e-tickets were pretty much compulsory everywhere. When I’d choose paper tickets it was left doors for the box office then down the spiral staircase to the stalls level. It stood out because it really showed off how much fancier the Palladium’s FOH is than the vast majority of theatres.

[d'James]

I would say they were very friendly when I went. Also very patient helping a man with a stick decide which was the best way to get to his seat.

[MusicalTalk]

I think ALW needs to do what he did do the theatre royal drury lane and rebuild the inside from the ground up. It deserves it; it’s not in a good state!

[Jon]

I wonder if the London Palladium is too lucrative revenue wise to close for nearly 2 and a half for a proper refurb.

[theatrefan77]

Aug 3, 2024 9:57:48 GMT alece10 said:

I do feel I have to stick up for the FOH staff at the Palladium. I have access requirements and the staff are always really helpful and friendly. I go to quite a lot of the concerts there as well as the shows and they always go out of their way to help. In fact, I find LW Theatre staff to be amongst the best and have written in several times to thank them.
I know everyone's experience can be different but just wanted to put my side across.

i agree that Staff at the Palladium are always nice and friendly.  However on Thursday I went to see the show for the second time and there was a extremely rude woman in the entrance.  It was raining and she shouted at two elderly ladies that they had to go to the end of the queue.  The ladies have come from the  opposite and didn't realise there was a queue -which wasn't that long anyway-. Any normal person would have let them in instead of sending them to the back of the queue in the rain while shouting at them.  She was really vile. We were going to mention it to Staff inside but a patron ahead of us mentioned in first.  The Staff member replied that they would pass the message but that the rude woman wasn't an employee of the theatre and worked for the Security company contracted to check bags at the entrance.

[dontdreamit]

Aug 2, 2024 23:41:51 GMT unseaworthy said:

Obviously, there is not much more to say about this production. It is truly glorious, best show of the year, possibly best show of the decade. Anyone who misses it, will live to regret it. Completely magnificent.

The problems for me were with the theatre. Not for the first time, the Palladium felt very short staffed and the people working there did not have customer service at the top of their agendas. There was a customer near me who had access needs and was ignored and then screamed at, while other staff members were totally out of their depth. Stage door was terrifying, no barriers, no order, just one security guard on his phone. People spilled out covering half the road, cars had to swerve to avoid them. I left as it was too scary. It seems crazy that the London Palladium has no procedure in place to keep its patrons safe.

LW Theatres need to do better.

Hello Dolly deserves better.

I was in on Thursday and have access needs and they were amazing- helpful and not condescending which unfortunately is often the case with people when they see you have to use a mobility aid.

[danb]

Aug 3, 2024 10:24:26 GMT marob said:

But they don’t actually have to have segregated entrances do they? I only finally got a smartphone after the pandemic when e-tickets were pretty much compulsory everywhere. When I’d choose paper tickets it was left doors for the box office then down the spiral staircase to the stalls level. It stood out because it really showed off how much fancier the Palladium’s FOH is than the vast majority of theatres.

They do. Separate doors for the different levels. They all go into the same foyer but I guess it helps them organise who is going where, and excludes the upper circle’rs. 🥴

[SamB (was badoerfan)]

Aug 3, 2024 11:28:20 GMT theatrefan77 said:

Aug 3, 2024 9:57:48 GMT alece10 said:

I do feel I have to stick up for the FOH staff at the Palladium. I have access requirements and the staff are always really helpful and friendly. I go to quite a lot of the concerts there as well as the shows and they always go out of their way to help. In fact, I find LW Theatre staff to be amongst the best and have written in several times to thank them.
I know everyone's experience can be different but just wanted to put my side across.

i agree that Staff at the Palladium are always nice and friendly.  However on Thursday I went to see the show for the second time and there was a extremely rude woman in the entrance.  It was raining and she shouted at two elderly ladies that they had to go to the end of the queue.  The ladies have come from the  opposite and didn't realise there was a queue -which wasn't that long anyway-. Any normal person would have let them in instead of sending them to the back of the queue in the rain while shouting at them.  She was really vile. We were going to mention it to Staff inside but a patron ahead of us mentioned in first.  The Staff member replied that they would pass the message but that the rude woman wasn't an employee of the theatre and worked for the Security company contracted to check bags at the entrance.

The separate queues and entrances makes sense for separating people going in, but needs to be better communicated. As you look at the front of the Palladium, you have one queue going left along the pavement for Stalls, and one going right along the pavement for the dress circle. If you come at the theatre, as I did, from Oxford Circus station, the first thing you encounter is a long queue going into the Palladium - so the natural thing to do is to get in that queue. There's no way of knowing there's an equivalent queue snaking the opposite way from the entrance until you get near the front. 

I will however defend the actual Palladium staff - very helpful and friendly, including a lady at the Dress Circle bar. I'd got there just as she pulled the rope across to close it, but I asked if I could just swoop in and grab some water from the jugs on the bar, and she let me go through and do that. Too many staff would be 'nope, too late' and stick to the rule, but she used common sense and helped me out when I needed it.

[theatreian]

It was very difficult on a busy matinee when there was massive queues on what was already a busy road and pavements. They did have someone telling people which queue though it was obvious that not everyone knew.

[westended]

Does anyone know how they manage to fit the staircase backstage??

Was also amazed when that train appeared…SR wing is notoriously small!

[unseaworthy]

The bar areas are also much too small for the number of people who want to use them.

[sph]

Aug 3, 2024 23:04:46 GMT westended said:

Does anyone know how they manage to fit the staircase backstage??

Was also amazed when that train appeared…SR wing is notoriously small!

There have been enormous set pieces in Palladium shows over the years, so I just assumed the pieces for Hello Dolly were normal for the venue. Perhaps the staircase breaks down into sections? It didn't seem unfeasibly large for a major West End stage.

[mrbarnaby]

Everything breaks down into small bits and lots is stored in the air.

This applies to nearly every musical in the west end with lots of set.
Except Frozen - Drury Lane has acres of wing space

[appoul]

Aug 3, 2024 23:18:58 GMT sph said:

Aug 3, 2024 23:04:46 GMT westended said:

Does anyone know how they manage to fit the staircase backstage??

Was also amazed when that train appeared…SR wing is notoriously small!

There have been enormous set pieces in Palladium shows over the years, so I just assumed the pieces for Hello Dolly were normal for the venue. Perhaps the staircase breaks down into sections? It didn't seem unfeasibly large for a major West End stage.

Ι think the staircase is broken into three sections. We saw one of them during the London Palladium tour.

[kallyloo]

I’m by no means a dedicated musical theatre fan, but was absolutely stunned by the talent, production and performance of the whole company especially the leads. Magnificent and had a complete standing ovation throughout the theatre which was well deserved.

On the subject of FOH, very polite, but I have a disability and when I asked about disabled toilets, was told just to go to the womens. Cue a lot of pain standing waiting and difficulty in a very small toilet. Also, I was in the bar, the written bar menu had ice cream listed as available and was told to buy it in the auditorium?
Truly amazing show, I would love to see it again, maybe from a better seat, but I’m hesitant due to these issues.

[greeny11]

Saw it last night, and couldn't stop smiling throughout - it was pure joy. The whole cast are fantastic, but Imelda Staunton is absolutely marvellous in this role - the title number was a real highlight. I was blown away by the quality of the set design bearing in mind it's only a 10 week run. If I lived closer, I would definitely be re-visiting this a number of times before it closes.

[sph]

I imagine the sets will be used in other future shows here and there. Michael Harrison is the producer and I believe he also heads up Crossroads' Pantomime division so many screens/staircases/vehicles can easily be worked into those in the future.

[mrbarnaby]

It looked like a pantomime staircase anyway so that would work.