Dolly Parton Musical Halted Amid Homophobic Violence in Manchester, Following Star’s Statement

Dolly Parton Musical Disrupted

The Dolly Parton musical in Manchester was suspended in the middle of the show due to homophobic violence that erupted in the audience.

• Read more: Dolly Parton – Rockstar Review: the Queen of the country raises the horns of the devil

Director’s Commentary

Director Gabriel Barre, Here you are again, is a musical comedy where Parton’s character serves as a fairy-tale godmother, imparting life lessons through song to a fan who has endured tough times.

Recently, he worked at the Manchester Opera House from February 4 to 8. According to Stephen Webb, who plays a super fan of the country music icon in the musical, he and his colleagues encountered crowd issues “almost every week.”

“The number of spectators that we had to throw out of our show due to homophobia is insane,” Webb shared on TikTok. He added, “Only this week in Manchester, we had to expel someone who shouted insults.”

@thatSteewebb

#MusicalTheatre

♬ Original sound – Stevie Webb

Audience Reactions and Support

“On Wednesday (February 5), we had to stop all the shows… because a woman became so agitated that she caused a scene on stage.”

He went on to recount that during the performance, there was a “massive ruckus” due to a woman’s screams, which incited others to join in, leading to a 15-minute intermission.

“This is a musical Dolly Parton!” Webb exclaimed. “It was just me and (the actor playing) Dolly Parton on stage.”

Furthermore, Webb described a particularly troubling encounter in London, where an individual allegedly shouted a homophobic slur during a performance, claiming they “just wanted to see Dolly Parton.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIIG4FLRWMK

“It really opened my eyes because we live in such a bubble in this industry; traveling around the country has shown me how many people cannot accept a gay character on stage,” said the actor. “I feel sorry for them.”

According to BBC, Atg Entertainment, which oversees the venue, stated that they have a “zero tolerance” policy for such incidents.

Parton is a long-standing supporter of the LGBTQ+ community. Back in 2014, she expressed her support for same-sex marriages, previously telling Daily Mail, “Everyone should be with the one they love.”

“I don’t wish to contradict or provoke trouble, but people love who they love,” she added, humorously stating, “I think gay couples should be allowed to get married. They should suffer just like heterosexuals.”

In other news, Parton will feature in the deluxe version of Sabrina Carpenter’s LP ‘Short N’ Sweet’, set to release this Friday (February 14). She is featured on the Carpenter track “Please, Please.”