Rachel Haliburton

It’s easy to see how Payne-Gaposchkin, headstrong and plain-speaking, with a terrible nicotine habit, might be the inspiration for a riveting drama. Sadly The Lightest Element is not that play: its stifling air of veneration and exposition-laden dialogue means that even though the central character is looking at the stars, her story remains resolutely earthbound.

Dominic Cooke’s production of Hello, Dolly! opens 60 years after the musical first hit Broadway during a time of political upheaval provoked by the continuing war against Vietnam. As Imelda Staunton triumphantly takes the lead role, it’s clear why the musical is such a tonic for turbulent times, with its bracingly salty wit balanced by the redemptive philosophy that everyone deserves a second chance.