Dolly Parton is larger than life. Even without the hair, the sparkly outfits and signature silhouette, her voice is instantly recognisable – for more than country music. Offstage, she is legendarily positive, her humour and sunny disposition as much a part of her brand as her music. All these attributes make Dolly Parton a prime candidate for a tribute show. But Here You Come Again aims higher, seeking status as a piece of musical theatre, a play studded with songs from Parton’s voluminous back catalogue in the ‘jukebox musical’ style of Mamma Mia or Jersey Boys.

Brought to the stage by Kay & McLean Productions and Melting Pot, this musical opens in an attic space crammed with vintage Dolly Parton memorabilia. It’s 2020, the early days of the pandemic, and Kevin (Dash Kruck) has slunk away from his life in Melbourne to bunker down in the attic of his parent’s house in Bendigo, surrounded by the posters and vinyl of his high-school obsession with the country music legend.

Life is not going to plan for Kevin. His career as a stand-up comic failed at the first hurdle. His hedge-fund manager boyfriend Jeremy (Bailey Dunnage) has just broken up with him by text message and he’s weirdly excited by the prospect of self-medicating with alcohol and Valium. As Kevin hits rock bottom, Dolly Parton steps out of a poster – a bedazzled guardian angel with a high wattage smile and a sunny cliché for each and every moment Kevin looks in the mirror and calls himself a loser. The narrative trajectory is clear. She’s here to turn Kevin’s life around, and she sets to the task as only Dolly Parton can – with a mix of saccharine positivity and song.

Tricia Paoluccio is an exceptional Dolly Parton. Every moment Paoluccio is on stage, all light and focus are drawn to her. And it’s not just the sequinned outfits. She channels Dolly Parton. Her mimicry in both song and speech is flawless. As the co-creator who generated the original idea for the show (working with co-creators Bruce Vilanch and Gabriel Barre) and the star of the performance, it’s clear that it was probably Paoluccio who had posters of Parton in her teenaged bedroom.

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And as a tribute show, Here You Come Again is brilliant. The song choice is just the right blend of greatest hits with lesser-known numbers from Parton’s countless country albums and foray into gospel.

The staging by Paul Wills and lighting by Jason Bovaird are both of a similarly high standard, adhering to a Parton-esque style of maximalism. The attic set is delightfully detailed, including just enough Australian elements to make it feel local. This touch of Australian flavour is the work of Fiona Harris and Mike McLeish, who adapted the original dialogue and setting to embed the show in regional Victoria as the lockdowns began. Bulk toilet paper and handwashing songs place the action during Covid; the rissoles and Humphrey doll make it unquestionably Australian.

But as a piece of musical theatre, this show didn’t quite live up to the excellence of the musical performances or the staging. In traditional musical theatre, the songs are composed and placed to do some narrative work, such as giving the audience insight into the protagonist’s mindset or propelling the plot. While the songs in Here You Come Again are superbly performed by musical director and keyboardist Andrew Worboys, with Tina Harris on bass, Ash Murdica on guitar and Luke Herbert, the songs themselves sit awkwardly against the narrative playing out in the background. Rather than the song choices illuminating the plot with the lyrics having some relevance to the story, the script has the feel of existing soley to provide a tenuous link between pre-determined song choices.

Director Gabriel Barre does magnificent work staging the show’s music and his skill with pacing keeps everything speeding along. But in terms of narrative heft, a storyline about a depressed man leaning on a country icon/guardian angel for life coaching through song is not much meat on the bone.

That said, fans of Dolly Parton will adore this production. While the song choices may not slot perfectly into the plot, they provide a sparkling song list from a formidable career. All the best-loved hits are pitch perfect: ‘Jolene’, ‘9 to 5’, ‘Islands in the Stream’, ‘Love is Like a Butterfly’ and the eponymous classic ‘Here You Come Again’. When looking at the song list, it’s an incredible feat for two hours on stage. And last night, the concluding mega mix had the audience on their feet, arms in the air, belting out the words.

At heart, this is a show about fandom and the power our heroes have to help us live our lives more fully or turn them around in times of crisis. It’s clear that Tricia Paoluccio is a supremely talented Parton fan and this rhinestone-studded tribute to an icon is a night that no Dolly fan should miss.

Here You Come Again is playing at Her Majesty’s Theatre until December 14