The Stage

Hairspray

Published Friday 9 April 2010 at 13:50 by Jon Holliday

The year-long, first ever tour of UK and Eire of Hairspray, winner of 28 major awards, gets off to a stomping start in Wales. Olivier Award winner Michael Ball, who originated the role of big, blousey Edna in the London production, proves yet again simply irresistible.

Michael Ball (Edna Turnblad) and Laurie Scarth (Tracy Turnblad) in Hairspray at the Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff

His roguish, not quite the Dame charm captivates his audience, from the modest downbeat beginning through to the show-stopping Timeless With Me, which he duets with the Wilbur of irrepressible Les Dennis, to the explosive finale that earns a standing, swaying, cheering ovation. Laurie Scarth is in fine form as big-haired, big-hearted but oh so vulnerable Tracy, while the sheer vocal exuberance of Sandra Marvin as Motormouth Maybelle makes I Know Where I’ve Been quite overwhelming.

What a happy, feel-good, family musical this is as it recreates the Baltimore of the sixties and faces head-on the thorny issue of racial segregation in the States. The pace of the powerhouse music and songs rarely slackens, the comedy is warm-hearted, the dancing frenetic, the tableaux eye-catching, the blaze of colourful settings a visual treat.

The strength and depth of the 35-strong cast is remarkable, with outstanding performances by Emma Dukes as Penny and Gillian Kirkpatrick as Velma, supported by Clare Halse (Amber), Liam Doyle (Link), Wayne Robinson (Seaweed) and Danny Bayne (Corny).

Alternating the role of Edna with Brian Conley and Michael Starke later in the tour, Ball will be a hard act to follow in this sure-fire success.