Good morning Baltimore – or should that be Good evening Manchester because Hairspray the musical is back in town!

Now I’m a HUGE fan of the original film by John Waters 1988 with Divine, Ricki Lake and Debbie Harry and have been for years, and I remember when the musical film first came out thinking they will ruin it.  But I couldn’t be more wrong back then, and whether you’ve seen either the original film or the musical version of the film or not you’ll definitely love this stage version!

This family-friendly, feel-fabulous show transports you to 1960’s Baltimore and follows the story of Tracy Turnblad and her journey to becoming a hair-hopping superstar.

Tracy (played by the brilliant Katie Brace), is a big girl, with big hair and an even bigger heart, and in her life she goes to school and watches The Corny Collins Show on TV and does nothing else, But Tracy also has dreams of becoming one of the nicest kids in town regular dancers on the show.

When a place becomes free to join the gang, Tracy and her best friend Penny Pingleton, (Rebecca Jayne-Davies), believe she can make it and skip school to go to audition but it becomes clear that Tracy is definitely not like the other kids on the show and the show’s producer Velma Von Tussle (Rebecca Thornhill) who’s only aim in life is to make her daughter Amber (Jessica Croll) famous, tells Tracy as much in no uncertain terms.

When Tracy is given detention she meets Seaweed (Akeem Ellis-Hyman) who shows her some of his own dance moves which she uses to impress Corny Collins (Richard Meek) to win a part on the show as well as impressing her dream boy Link Larkin (Ross Clifton) in the process.

But her dream of being on the show, only highlights that Seaweed and his friends can’t dance alongside her, all because of the colour of their skin and she sets out to change things, and make the world a better place, one where anyone’s dreams can be come true and accepts you for who you are, no matter your race, who you love, your size or colour.

Supported whole heartedly by her parents Edna (Alex Bourne) and Wilbur (Norman Pace) Turnblad and the big blonde and beautiful Motormouth Maybelle (Brenda Edwards) Tracy challenges  stereotypes, rallies for change and welcomes everyone including her own mother, into the 60’s.

Katie Brace is absolutely amazing as Tracy and I couldn’t honestly believe this tour was her professional debut! She’s full of energy, has a cracking voice, and plays Tracy perfectly, making you want her to succeed in her TV career, her quest for equality AND gettng the guy!

The biggest laugh of the night comes when Edna and Wilbur perform You’re Timeless To Me in the second act which saw them corpse a couple of times as they cuddle up together but it also touches your heart as you see a true love story played out despite their set backs in life.

The other stand out performance comes from Brenda Edwards as Motormouth Maybelle who’s holds the audience in the palm of her hands as she sings I know where I’ve been. Her amazing voice and performance captures the emotion and the struggle that people of colour have been through and what they still have to face. Just breath-taking.

But of course the audience are waiting for the final scene where Tracy wins the day, Amber, Velma have to accept integration, and black kids can finally join the white kids dancing together on National TV! 

On the surface Hairspray is a bubble-gum, colourful, camp, kitsch show with high energy and catchy tunes but it really is so much more than that.

It’s brilliant fun yes but it’s also a thought provoking, emotional story of love and acceptance and has real heart. It will leave you feeling uplifted and able to achieve anything, and the fact the final song is You can’t stop the beat which got every single member of the audience on their feet for a standing ovation, means you’ll also be singing all the way home!

This show really brings home why we’ve missed theatre so much and why we are so happy they are back!  If you get chance please go and see it, you’ll love it!

Review by Emma Ronan-Peate

Hairspray The Musical is on at the Palace Theatre from Monday, October 25 to Saturday, October 30, then again from Monday, November 8 to Saturday, November 13. You can get tickets here https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/hairspray-the-musical/palace-theatre-manchester/