An unfortunate incident involving homophobic abuse disrupted a Dolly Parton-themed musical at the Opera House in Manchester. During a performance of "Here You Come Again," which portrays Dolly Parton as a fairy godmother offering life lessons through song, a man shouted an offensive slur, prompting Stevie Webb, who plays a superfan of Parton in the musical, to respond with, "I just want to see Dolly Parton." This incident led to the cast leaving the stage and highlighted broader issues of homophobic abuse.
The disruption was not isolated, as similar trouble occurred over the weekend when another man had to be removed from the audience. The incidents have considerably impacted Webb, who noted that they have "really opened [his] eyes" to the prevalence of homophobic abuse. The situation escalated when a woman expressed her disgust at the presence of a gay character, leading to the initial disturbance.
Dolly Parton, widely recognized for her support of LGBTQ+ rights, has consistently advocated for inclusivity. She has hosted Gay Days at her theme park, Dollywood, located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and publicly backed gay marriage in 2014.
“I think everyone should be with who they love,” – Dolly Parton
“I don’t want to be controversial or stir up a bunch of trouble but people are going to love who they are going to love. I think gay couples should be allowed to marry.” – Dolly Parton
ATG Entertainment, which manages the venue in Manchester, maintains a firm "zero tolerance" policy towards any incidents of homophobic abuse. The Opera House emphasized that such occurrences are rare and assured that individuals engaging in abusive behavior would be promptly removed. Similar incidents reportedly troubled the London run of this production, raising questions about audience behavior and security measures.