Hairspray

West End Operatic Society chose a perfect show to bring full-scale musicals back to the Tyne Theatre.  Whilst the show is a recent creation, it takes its inspiration from the late 1950s/early 1960s.  The score by Marc Shaiman with lyrics by Scott Whittman and Marc Shaiman is a pastiche of rock n roll which, although the songs are unfamiliar, somehow sounds as though you have heard them all before, many years ago.  Back in those days there was a show on American tv, out of Philidelphia, called Dick Clark’s American Bandstand which featured current, hot rock n roll acts miming to their current singles, whilst the audience of local kids danced in the studio.  The Corny Collins Show, which forms the backbone of Hairspray, is a direct steal.

All the local kids want to be on it and that includes Tracy Turnblad played by Aniella Lucia.  Despite being a somewhat overweight teenager she has learned all the moves and is determined to make it onto the show.  She has to make it past the show’s producer, Velma von Tussle (Leanne Harrison).  Velma has two problems, fat kids and black kids, but Tracy with her redoubtable Mom, Edna Turnblad, played by Andrew Fearon, manages to outmanoeuvre her on both counts.

There are 30 named parts in the programme and I will not be able to mention them all individually but some deserve particular credit.  Firstly Andrew, who makes a fine job of playing Tracy’s Mom.  Based upon the original film version and some of the actors I’ve seen made up for the part, he could have done with a bit more padding but, apart from that, he gave a fine comic turn.  Aniella was perfect as Tracy – plump, yes, but with all the moves and a voice that took on the rock n roll idiom with ease.  Leanne was suitable unpleasant as Velma but displayed a strong voice when called upon to do a solo.  Hannah Elliott played her daughter, Amber, and was very impressive in the part, playing against type, as the stuck-up young madam.  Wearing a blonde wig, she was unrecognisable and played her socks off in the role. 

Who else to mention?  Well, the entire black chorus, particularly Abigail Byron as Motormouth Maybelle, and Quentin Charles Whittaker as Seaweed J Stubbs.  Together with the rest of the black chorus they threw quite a few shapes which made it obvious they should be allowed onto the show on a regular, not just an occasional, basis.

One or two more mentions should go to Paul Outerside, as the henpecked Mr Turnblad; Jamie Howse as teen idol Link Larkin; and Kevin Rhodes as Corny Collins himself.  They and everyone else in the production deserve praise for their contributions to the show.  The orchestra, or perhaps I should say band, under the direction of Liam Gilbert, also helped to keep the music and the action moving.  It was a high energy, colourful, singing and dancing, rock n rolling spectacular and everybody involved deserved high praise indeed for being part of a most entertaining evening.

There were one or two carping technical criticisms in the press reviews earlier in the week but they had obviously been sorted out by Wednesday, when I saw the show.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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