Sunderland Empire, 10/01/2022
Good Evening Sunderland! It’s 1962 in Baltimore and Tracy Turnblad is waking up for another day of the same old life in a narrow minded town but still as optimistic as ever about it. An audition comes up for Tracy at a local TV dance show and she wants to take that opportunity to change the world for the better, which doesn’t sit well with some…
Read on for our five reasons why you should see Hairspray on its UK tour!
1. Katie Brace as Tracy Turnblad
Sunderland-born and bred Katie Brace makes her professional debut on this tour as the leading lady. The raucous reception for Brace throughout the show is so well deserved as she completely encapsulates everything Tracy Turnblad is about; beaming with excitement and optimism from the first beat until the curtain call. Brace is note perfect and delivers the comedy of the role impeccably too. An outstanding performance from a new name who is quite obviously having the time of her life up there. Definitely a name to look out for in the future!
2. There’s such energy from every performance
Hairspray is a fast and energetic show, and this tour does not disappoint with the effort that the cast out into the choreography. Almost every song throughout the show requires the cast to be dancing with a lot of enthusiasm, making the audience wonder how a cast can move so much and perform numbers so well at the same time. Whether it’s The Twist or The Mashed Potato, the cast have you itching to be on your feet and joining in.
3. The script is really funny
Every scene across the show is packed with little one-liners and puns that are delivered by many members of the cast. The jokes really complement the optimistic nature of the story and allow the show to flow so well keeping the audiences attention between each big number. A comedic highlight is the epilogue of ‘You’re Timeless To Me’ performed by Alex Bourne (Edna Turnblad) and Norman Pace (Wilbur Turnblad); not only do they have the audience in stitches but can barely contain themselves too.
4. The songs in this show are infectious
Many people will know the classic track ‘You Can’t Stop The Beat’ but this show is packed with timeless songs, each one being more of an ear worm than the last. Songs like ‘Welcome To The 60s’ and ‘You’re Timeless To Me’ will be stuck in your head for days. A standout performance with regards to musical numbers is Brenda Edwards as Motormouth Maybelle. Her numbers ‘Big, Blonde and Beautiful’ and especially ‘I Know Where I’ve Been’ blow the roof off the auditorium as she belts out those notes.
5. The message of the show
The morals of Hairspray as a story are all about inclusion. Inclusion regardless of skin or body type and while this was set in the 60s where integration was just beginning, the message stands very much in this day and age too. If the audience can take home anything from Tracy’s story, it’s that no matter who you are or what you may look like, you belong in society and deserve to have a voice and be heard!
Hairspray is such a fun show, packed with great songs and hilarious dialogue. If you’re up for an evening out to forget the worries of life and enjoy a fun show, this is for you! Find remaining tickets and tour dates by clicking here!
The Stagey Couple 