Hairspray is a very popular musical for some very good reasons: there isn’t a duff song in the score, there’s a fantastic cast of characters, plus strong messages of acceptance and following your dreams—all delivered with large doses of cheek and charm.
This production is in the relatively early stages of a long UK tour, with Buxton Opera House Chief Executive Paul Kerryson directing, along with former Motormouth Maybelle powerhouse Brenda Edwards making her directorial debut. Having seen this show numerous times, it is a pleasure to see Edwards, Kerryson and the cast adding some fresh tweaks and finding even more humour within an already funny show.
The hair and the issues are big in Hairspray. Plus-sized, beehived teen Tracy Turnblad (Alexandra Emmerson-Kirby in an impressive professional debut) longs to dance on the Corny Collins Show. Set in Baltimore, 1962, as the civil rights movement is attracting both support and resistance, Tracy also wants her favourite show to be integrated, against the prejudiced views of Velma Von Tussle (Joanne Clifton). There’s also a small matter of Tracy being madly in love with show heartthrob Link Larkin (Solomon Davy), who just happens to be going out with Velma’s sniping daughter Amber (Allana Taylor). Will true love prevail? Will Tracy achieve her dream of dancing on an integrated show?
This production is a delight: the cast’s super-slick delivery of Drew McOnie’s crisp choreography, the companionable badinage in Wilbur (Dermot Canavan) and Edna (Neil Hurst)’s duet “You’re Timeless to Me”, Michelle Ndegwa’s soaring and soulful “I Know Where I’ve Been” are just some of many highlights. Oh, and “I Can Hear the Bells” is brilliantly done.
Solomon Davy is a wonderful Link, effortlessly cool, a fabulous dancer, and has great chemistry with Emmerson-Kirby. Clifton and Taylor too make a nicely pitched, uber-catty mother and daughter partnership.
Special mention to Stuart Hickey, who brings new layers of humour to his multifaceted role of Male Authority Figure, an inauspicious name for a variety of roles including Mr Pinky of the Hefty Hideaway, Mr Spritzer of Ultra Clutch Hairspray and Tracy’s despairing teacher.
Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan’s book and Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman’s lyrics deliver punch amongst the cartoonish fun, with pointed reminders of the show’s key messages of tolerance and acceptance. In a nice piece of programming, The Mountaintop, Katori Hall’s play about Martin Luther King, is also showing this week at Curve’s adjoining Studio. Sadly, and not without irony, this production of Hairspray made the news last week following an incident with cast member Reece Richards, who plays Seaweed, and the Met Police. Understudy Jáiden Lodge gives a fine performance in what must be a difficult situation for all concerned.
Puns aside, this is a show where, performance-wise, you must “go large or go home”. And this production delivers so much: song and dance, big hair and humour and a magnificent final number that brings everyone to their feet.