Hairspray

The latest production by award winning and long standing group Peterborough Operatic and Dramatic Society hit the ground running…and dancing its heart away. Sold out days before its opening at the larger venue of the Cresset, the show amazed, delighted and thoroughly entertained an enthusiastic first night audience.
Packed with show stopping numbers and pitch perfect performances, here was a show which every society and every amateur performer aspiring to musical greatness needed to see. The highest production values were present in shedloads, the eye for the tiniest influential detail made every note, word and step count and predominantly, the performance energy of every company member showed no sign of flagging even slightly from start to finish. It left the audience out of breath so heaven knows how the performers felt after two hours of the best of modern musical.
Of course, the society were helped by a terrific score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman adapted for a marvellous on stage band under the musical direction of the inimitable Steve Hession and the hilarious but moving libretto evoking 1962 so poignantly. Big issues are raised in the show with racism and sizeism and the supremacy of love brought to the fore comically and easily albeit surprisingly.
A welcoming foyer, excellent informative programmes and courteous friendly front of house team were a bonus before entering the resonant auditorium with acoustics which have defeated many a group, professional and otherwise previously. No such worries here. Sound quality was top notch and lighting design courtesy of Rob Melhuish and John Lawrence was sophisticated and slick. It worked. It enhanced but did not interfere with the continuity and reality of the show.
The set was a marvel. On the move almost as much as the company, the brightly coloured cartoon effects on backcloths and small trucks ensured that the action was never held back for a second because of a scenery change. Any first night blips were handled with common sense so as not to become major. Rob Melhuish’s team via Rob’s inspired design and precise oversight gave the cast the 1962 backdrop of their dreams.
From the opening bars and first heroically apt choreographic move, we were placed in Baltimore in Tracy Turnblad’s world. We were uplifted by wonderful singing, choreography and positive energy. Confidence of the correct brand was there in abundance and ,unlike so many shows, thus it continued throughout an evening of sheer theatrical magic.
Rob Bristow and team had excelled themselves with overcoming the Cresset space’s shortcomings as more sports hall than theatre to create a credible sixties’ atmosphere and draw the best of performances from a supremely talented group of players. Rob’s vision for this masterpiece of twenty first century theatre was masterly and his direction of a large and diverse company was superb. Innumerable ‘bravos’ to him but also to his production team of Steve Hession, Rob Melhuish and Nikki Marsden.
The costumes, wigs and make up were fantastic with not a bouffant hair out of its 1962 place. When all the cast were on stage or there was a specialty number, it was breathtaking.
To any regular Peterborough theatregoer, one of the most amazing aspects of the show was the strength in depth of performance. Performers who would usually take on leading roles shone in cameos and chorus. Every company member was a fine individual performer in their own right but all united for the uniformly excellent quality of ‘Hairspray.’
At the heart of it all was the stupendous portrayal of Tracy by Katie-Rose Parker. She was exceptional: touching, funny, light of foot and profound on emotion with a singing voice to which many a West End star would aspire. Without the right Tracy and Edna, the show expires on its first beat. Here was entirely the right Tracy.
Here also was the right Edna. Not played for flamboyance or laughs as so many I have seen but played for truth by the wonderful Alex Broadfield who sang and danced to perfection. His song and dance with the warmly enchanting Calvin Lawrence as Wilbur was a highspot: ‘You’re Timeless to Me’ was beautifully performed and their relationship was played for poignancy not camp just as it should be.
An absolute showstopper on first night was Leitina Reuben-Travers’ solo as Motormouth. Her singing and rendition of a challenging part was jaw droppingly good. In a completely differently way, Amanda Villamayor brought a class and comic timing to Velma that made her more watchable than any Velma I have seen. Brilliant! As were Jericho Taylor as the horrific Amber and Hannah Joy Gibson as the clueless Penny. Both were terrific.
In sterling support were Doug Pattie as an authentically hilarious Corny, Jennie Dighton as a beautifully bossy Prudy and Olivia Kamau as an entrancingly sweet Little Inez. All three showed how being and remaining in character with immaculate accents helps everyone else’s performances.
Some say that casting is 90% of a good director’s job and Rob certainly struck gold with the casting of Sam Makepeace-Beach as Link and Ben Landy as Seaweed Stubbs: both looked right and sounded right bringing appropriate cool to their characters.
The rest of the very large cast of Denizens of Baltimore were fantastic with the big numbers entirely on song; ‘You Can’t Stop the Beat’ was fabulous but then so was any other number you care to name.
This was an exceptional show, exceptionally directed with an exceptional cast. The slight mistiming of the curtain calls and black out at the close prevented the massive standing ovation the audience were on the edge of their seats yearning to give. Let them have their ‘Encore, encore’ moment for the rest of the run! They want it and the cast deserve it.
The best of a run of fine shows by PODS with more to give in the coming years. ‘Peterborough’s Got Talent: it’s got the incomparable PODS.’

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