"Hairspray" the musical is a delight from start to finish! FIVE STARS!
There is nothing quite like the hit musical theatre comedy “Hairspray” to lift the spirits on a cold February evening, and so audiences at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre this week are in for a treat as the latest UK tour lights up the city centre venue.
The classic American High School tale of the prom queen and the school hero is turned completely on its head when the larger than life Tracy Turnblad joins the Corny Collins show on Baltimore’s local TV station. It’s the one all the kids want to appear on, despite the racist segregation issues on the show.
As Tracy sets out to change all that, it isn’t long before she catches the attention of Link Larkin, the show’s star and they fall in love. However, his girlfriend Amber and her mother are on a course to ruin the romance and “steer everyone in the white direction!”
Although this latest touring version of the show is relatively modest in comparison to previous versions, with simple set design and a smaller cast, it is still as heart-warming as ever. Good performances do not need all the bells and whistles of an expensive production.
Joanne Clifton as Velma Von Tussle, plays the role with all the glamour and finesse you would expect from a Strictly Come Dancing star, and not only has the opportunity to show off her dancing skills but her extensive musical theatre experience too. An excellent portrayal of the villain of the piece!
Neil Hurst is elegant and surprisingly light on his feet as the Turnblad matriarch, Tracy's mother, Edna, with superb comedy characterisation and is perfectly paired with Dermot Canavan as her whacky hubby, Wilbur and the owner of the Ha-de-Ha joke shop. Their performance of the duet “Timeless to Me”, full of double entendres and ad-libs was the highlight of the show and had the audience rolling in the aisles.
Meanwhile, local performer Solomon Davy from Codsall, gives an outstanding performance as Link, reminiscent of a young Elvis, displaying superb dancing skills and exceptional chemistry with the lovely Katie Brace who completely nails the character of Tracy.
Her comedy ability is evident and of course the role demands an excellent vocal performance, all of which she delivers admirably, but also you feel her passion for her cause and emotion in the role too. Add to these skills her complete lack of inhibitions and you have pretty much the perfect portrayal of the chubby chick who gets the guy!
Freya McMahon is quirky and cute as Tracy’s pal Penny, while Reece Richards as Seaweed oozes stage presence and style, and his number “Run and Tell That” was another highlight.
Vanessa Dumatey as Motormouth Maybelle brought the house with her rendition of the showstopper “I Know Where I’ve Been” in Act Two. Yes, it is a big song which she sang with complete conviction and what a voice! This was definitely the vocal performance of the evening and you could feel the atmosphere in the theatre change as the audience were completely enthralled.
The musical numbers we all know and love included “Welcome to the ‘60’s, “Without Love”, “I Can Hear the Bells”, “Good Morning Baltimore”, and of course the fastest finale in the business, “You Can’t Stop the Beat”, all of which had the audience straining to get up and join in. A special mention must also go to Musical Director Richard Atkinson and the band who performed Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman’s lively score with exuberance.
The cast whip through Drew McOnie's high energy dance routines and completely authentic choreography at a rate of knots, perfectly capturing the essence and feel decade, while Takis, the costume designer for the show has created colourful, period costumes which light up every scene, detracting from the sparse scenery and back projections.
A well-deserved standing ovation rounded off an evening of pure entertainment and earned a five star review.
Although “Hairspray is a delight from start to finish, don’t forget the underlying morale of the story. Life is all about acceptance. Anyone of any race, culture, size, age or ability should be welcome in the world. This musical just goes about making that quite clear in a highly entertaining and refreshing way, which is why “Hairspray” will run and run for years to come.
Grab a ticket if you can as there is limited availability, at grandtheatre.co.uk or by calling 01902 429212. Runs until Saturday.
