Hairspray
Milton Keynes Theatre
2nd September 2024
Evergreen favourite “Hairspray” never stays away from our stages for very long, and deservedly so. It’s been a massively popular show in the UK since it first appeared in 2007, and has rarely been off our stages since, in either national tours or London productions. Based on the 1988 John Waters film of the same name (which wasn’t a musical), the show serves up heaps of heart and personality along with one of the most instantly-likeable scores from Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, and takes the audience on a journey of self-belief, racial equality and fabulous hair. Having kicked off in July and running all the way through to April 2025, the show plays this week at Milton Keynes Theatre.
Set in Baltimore in the 1962, bubbly teenager Tracy Turnblad (played on Press Night by Katie Brace) is obsessed with ‘The Corny Collins Show’, a talent search broadcast on a local TV network, and has a crush on one of its male lead dancers Link Larkin (Solomon Davy). When one of the regular dancers pulls out of the show, open auditions are held for a replacement, and Tracy desperately tries to get in, against the wishes of her mother Edna (Neil Hurst). Immediately rejected by the TV show’s ruthless producer Velma Von Tussle (Gina Murray) for how she looks, Tracy is crushed, but a chance meeting in school detention sees her meeting and befriending a group of black students who know all-too-well what it’s like to be judged on appearance. Friendships turn into a drive for change, as the group hatch a plan to try and knock down walls and make ‘The Corny Collins Show‘ integrated so that everyone can dance together. But Tracy learns that some minds refuse to change, and that changing while remaining true to yourself isn’t an easy road to travel.
Vibrant, funny, uplifting and popping with colour (thanks to eye-catching set design by Takis), ‘Hairspray’ is a heart-warming show that brings a smile to the face, occasionally a tear to the eye, and by the end, the audience to its feet. Director Brenda Edwards is no stranger to the show, having played Motormouth Maybelle several times before, and she nails the infectious positivity that the musical is known for, while not forgetting to show its heart. The strength of the show (other than a near-faultless score of pure gold) lies in its characters, as the audience strives for the heroes and scowls at the villains, and are fully invested in the journey. While it may appear initially superficial and loaded with bubblegum-kitsch, the undertones of racial segregation and body-shaming are cleverly pitched just beneath its surface, and Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan’s book really does make its points brilliantly well, delivering humour, satire and heart in equal measure.
Choreography (by Drew McOnie) is exceptional, full of energy and delivered with gusto by the cast, who seem to never stop moving and make the demands of the piece look effortless. This reaches its heights during the finale with the legendary “You Can’t Stop The Beat” (comically known in theatre circles as “You Can’t Stop To Breathe” because of how full-on it is), where energy levels go off the charts and the audience are sent home on a euphoric high.
The role of Tracy is as big as her trademark hair, and Katie Brace does a fantastic job leading the show, full of wide-eyed daydreaming and immense likeability, with a fantastic voice as well. When Tracy opens the show with “Good Morning Baltimore” and tells us exactly what she wants out of life, Brace sells it with conviction. Neil Hurst’s Edna is an absolute hoot, really wringing every laugh out of the script and altering his voice as just the right times for maximum effect. The inevitable corpsing with Dermot Canavan’s Wilbur at the end of “You’re Timeless To Me” still happens, but is just different enough from previous productions to still feel funny. The other men also do brilliantly, from Solomon Davy’s massively likeable Link Larkin to Reece Richards’ quick and slick Seaweed who sings and dances up a storm. Gina Murray is magnetic as the spiteful Velma and for anyone who loves a female villain, she’s wonderfully wicked. And for fans of a belting torch song, Michelle Ndegwa performs “I Know Where I’ve Been” like her life depends on it, and creates a hugely powerful and affecting moment in the show. ‘Hairspray’ marks Ndegwa’s theatre debut, having earned her spurs in an extensive career as a backing vocalist, and this powerhouse performance puts her firmly and deservedly in the spotlight.
“Hairspray” is absolute joy from start to finish, a powerful shot of theatrical dopamine for the soul, and a reminder of just how uplifting musical theatre can be. There’s so much to love about this show, with its fantastic characters and catchy songs, but it’s the heart and soul of the musical that really make it sing, and this production captures that perfectly.
‘Hairspray’ runs at Milton Keynes Theatre until 7th September 2024 before continuing on its UK tour.
Performance runtime 2 hours 35 minutes including interval
Cast note – Gina Murray leaves the tour on Saturday 7th September 2024. From Monday 9th September at subsequent venues, the role of Velma Von Tussle will be played by Joanne Clifton.
