Big and Beautiful
You would be hard pushed to find anyone who hasn't heard of the latest musical to storm the box office, unless that is you spend a lot of time under rocks. With this in mind and the fact that Show and Stay® loves a good musical and only resorts to rocks during the winter, we made the journey back in time to 1962 Baltimore armed with our Hairspray.
Firstly you can't possibly talk about the phenomenon that is Hairspray without first talking about the visually stunning theatre in which it plays. The Shaftesbury theatre is one of the most beautifully designed theatres in London (that Show and Stay has experienced thus far), the intricate carvings and ornate chandeliers are almost enough to hold your attention away from the stage....that is until the music starts and the stage becomes awash with colour.
It's clear from the moment that Tracy Turnblad (Leanne Jones) takes to the stage that the audience will be eating from the palm of her hand. Playing a hormonal teen with the sort of characterisation that can only come from experience, Jones makes the role all the more heart-warming and irrepressibly funny. It's quite apparent from seeing the actress in action just how she won a Laurence Olivier Award for this part, with a voice made for the theatre and a character it seems she was born to play.
It's not that this production is good, it's that it's so good. Like its namesake every element of the production has been primped and preened, coiffured and styled to be a bigger, bolder, distinctive version of its former self á la the hairstyles of the day. The set has an air of the Truman Show meets Stepford Wives with a little Grease thrown in for good measure. So for anyone that dreamed of growing up in the 60s or grew up watching films about growing up in the 60s, this production feels as familiar as old socks. Corny Collins is the craaazy DJ of the day and there's even a fairly comical villain in the form of pushy mother and former Miss Baltimore, Velma Von Tussle (Tracie Bennett).
What makes this show work is the energy the cast brings to each moment. The catchy, era-perfect show tunes are not simply there to allow for a scene change but bring meaning to the action on stage. Every member of the cast, including the ensemble, has a distinct role, a reason for dancing a particular way, wearing particular clothes and ultimately a reason for being on stage. More often than not there will be members of the ensemble there to fill the stage and although Hairspray probably follows the same rules, you don't notice spare bodies but additional characters.
The plot if a little simple, with more than a few echoes of those educational nursery books you read as a child, allow this jovial musical to be enjoyed universally regardless of age. Kids will love the pantomime characters and adults the subtle humourous asides and satirical quips. Even the deeper routed theme of racism and segregation, which was very much a part of life in 60s America is treated to the "Hairspray formula", put in to the mixing pot with a dash of humour and a pinch of nursery rhyme morality.
This truly is a musical extravaganza and no matter what your mood on entering the theatre you are guaranteed to be toe-tapping and smiling by the time the curtain drops. Would I see it again..not without my Hairspray.
