Hairspray

Hairspray is a bright, brassy whirlwind of a show, which is something of a breath of fresh air amongst modern musicals. A tuneful, funny, popular show, which has something to say and isn't afraid of tackling meaty issues. This really is a musical with the message of inclusion.

The show is set in Baltimore in 1962. The show starts with a single spotlight on the lead Tracey Turnblad who is waking up for school and within minutes escalates to a full on spectacular opening sequence, full of life and vibrancy, with the opening number of Good Morning Baltimore. The company numbers were energetic, well choreographed and I wondered how this would be sustained throughout the production. I wasn’t disappointed as the show was unstoppable with its joyous zest for the vitality of the 60s. The whole cast appeared to be totally immersed in the action and at the end of the show, the buzz of enjoyment resulted in a standing ovation from the audience, an indication of true appreciation of the evenings entertainment.

Sarah Scully as Tracy lead the cast and sailed majestically through the show accompanied by the very funny Aimee Sellars as her best friend Penny Pingleton. It almost seems unfair to single out individual singers but the highlights of the show for me were Sanjay Burnett as Seaweed with his rendition of ‘Run and Tell’, Yvonne Morris as Motor Mouth Mable who sang from the heart ‘I know where I’ve been’ and the duet of  ‘Your’re Timeless to Me’ sung by Harri Herniman (as Edna Turnblad) and John Rawson (as Wilbur Turnblad).

There were great characterisations and performances all round by the entire cast from the almost villainous Jilli Gray as Velma Von Tussle and her daughter Amber Von Tussle played by Madeline Young, Michael Dean as the local heart throb Link Larson, Matt Spencer as Corny Collins, Rhiannon Parry as Prudy Pingleton, the ‘Dynamites’, and even the Cameraman (Charlie Yeomans) who caught the audiences eye on a number of occasions with his reactions.

The lighting design by Elliot Slater assisted in creating a suitable 60s vibe with numerous and very precisely timed cues for ‘Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now’.

The whole cast, crew and production team are to be commended on a solid, professional and slick production.

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