Jim Carter Amazed by Wife Imelda Staunton’s Performance in ‘Hello, Dolly!’

Jim Carter, widely recognized for his role as Carson the master butler on Downton Abbey , looked visibly moved during a touching performance of Dolly Gallagher Levi by the leading artist at the London Palladium. “That’s my wife,” he proudly exclaimed during the interval.

Indeed it was. Imelda Staunton was delivering a standout performance as the meddlesome fixer at the heart of the iconic musical Hello, Dolly! , a production crafted by Jerry Herman and Michael Stewart from Thornton Wilder’s The Matchmaker .

“It’s a brilliant production,” Carter shared.

“The problem is,” he continued, “I can’t see anyone else on stage. I can only look at her. I’m sitting there going, ‘Wow!’”

An understandable sentiment, considering the rest of the 2,200 members of the audience seemed equally captivated by her portrayal.

Derek Jacobi, a well-known theatrical knight, was seated across the aisle from Carter and his daughter, Bessie Carter, known for her role in Bridgerton. “I hadn’t realized the show was this funny and this romantic,” Jacobi observed.

However, one theater executive mentioned that even though he was impressed with director Dominic Cooke’s production and Staunton’s acting, he felt the role should have been played by a Jewish actor. “Imelda’s Irish,” he noted. “And that matters to some of us.”

Aware of the intricacies of cultural appropriation, I nodded politely. It’s a complex issue worth exploring another day. Nevertheless, it’s important to recognize that a versatile artist like Staunton should be at liberty to make any role their own.

Having viewed this Palladium rendition of Hello, Dolly! multiple times, it’s evident that Cooke has brilliantly integrated more of Wilder’s witty text from The Matchmaker with Herman’s stellar score.

“It’s a musical comedy and I wanted to underpin it with more of The Matchmaker ,” Cooke said.

“And what Imelda’s done is to find the comedy and the poignancy of the role,” he added. “Dolly’s a woman coming out of grief to live again — that’s the crux of the story.”

Producer Michael Harrison praised Cooke for treating the production like a classic, much in the way a respected institution like the National Theatre would.

Despite its success, the show has a limited 10-week run at the Palladium, as the venue has other commitments afterward. This got me wondering about the potential for a transfer to the National Theatre, although such a move seems unlikely given tight schedules.

Back to reality, it was heartening to see notable personalities like Hannah Waddingham, theatre impresario Cameron Mackintosh, and Madeleine Lloyd Webber in attendance. Madeleine essentially controls her husband’s West End theatre empire LW Theatres.

The stalls were packed with industry heavyweights, all partaking in a collective cheer during the big set pieces choreographed by Bill Deamer. His staging of the title number, in particular, received the loudest applause.

Kudos to the stellar cast, which includes Andy Nyman, Jenna Russell, Tyrone Huntley, Harry Hepple, Emily Lane, Leo Abad, and Emily Langham.

The afterparty was nothing short of grand, taking over bars and foyers on every floor.

It has certainly been a notable few days for Staunton. She received an Emmy nomination for her portrayal of the late Queen Elizabeth II in Netflix’s The Crown , followed by the year’s most significant West End opening night.