A WEST End star whose tribute act fooled Jonathan Ross into believing she was actually Dolly Parton is headed for Altrincham.
Described by the Daily Mirror as ‘the UK’s number-one Dolly Parton tribute artist’, Aussie-born West End star, Kelly O’Brien, will be gracing the stage at the Garrick Playhouse for one night only on Thursday, September 5.
Kelly has lived in Hertfordshire since 2005 after first moving to Germany for the lead role in Starlight Express, where she ‘met and married a pom’.
The mum-of-two has made countless TV and radio appearances, and in an episode of The Last Leg on Channel 4, talking of her, Jonathan Ross admitted, ‘I really thought it was Dolly’.
Kelly is in character from the moment she comes on stage, right through to the end of the show, and has even taught herself to play the guitar with three-inch-long false nails, like the icon herself.
“It’s not the easiest thing in the world,” the 50-year-old said.
Asked what she feels about getting to be being Dolly on stage, Kelly said: “I absolutely love it. Getting to emulate this amazing woman and bring her music to people is a tremendous privilege.
“She stopped touring a year-and-a-half ago, so she won’t do any more concerts in the UK. It’s up to me to keep her live legacy going.
“The Dolly Show is lovely because it’s usually one or two gigs a week. It means I can get a work-life balance right. Otherwise, I’d be divorced.
“Being Australian, I was brought up on Dolly's music. My parents played it constantly.
“It all kind of got going when I entered a talent competition in Sydney because it had a $100,000 prize.
“I had four minutes, and in those four minutes, I did Judy Garland, Britney Spears, Kylie, and Dolly.
“When I did Dolly, everyone said ‘oh my goodness, you could be her’. It helps we’re both five-feet tall.
“Later, in England, an agent came up to me one day asking to talk about this tribute act, but I didn’t really know what he was talking about. We didn’t have tribute acts in Australia back then.
“I decided to give it my best shot, because Dolly deserves it. I took four months off work and learned all her songs, banter, and Dollyisms.
“Dolly is the most incredible human being. She’s a singer, songwriter, actress, businesswoman, philanthropist, and humanitarian.
“She’s loved universally because life can be a bit shallow at time, and with people not having a lot of faith, they just want to get back to basics.
"She is exactly what it says on the tin, and everything she says comes from the heart.”
Kelly’s shows are incredibly popular, not least because she carries the personal endorsements of the Parton family, so it’s best to book early.
Asked what make’s Dolly such an enduring presence throughout the world, Kelly said: “I can be singing a song on stage, and I look down, and people are weeping. It’s quite cathartic and spiritual, and she brings the generations together.
“I have little girls coming to the show dressed up as Dolly, and last night I had a 93-year-old in.
“Her daughter said it must’ve been a great show because she hadn’t fallen asleep.
"If that's not a ringing endorsement, I don't know what is!"
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