Paul Kerryson and Brenda Edwards. Picture: Ellie Kurttz
Former X Factor finalist turned musical theatre star and TV ‘loose woman’ Brenda Edwards (Chicago, We Will Rock You) will make her directorial debut next summer when she joins Paul Kerryson to stage the 2024/2025 UK and Ireland tour of Hairspray.
Edwards, who previously played Motormouth Maybelle in three previous tours will join the accomplished creative team that also includes Oliver Award-winning choreographer Drew McOnie.
Producers Mark Goucher, Matthew Gale and Laurence Myers also announced the first set of dates and venues for the tour which will open at the Palace Theatre in Manchester on 16 July 2024.
The tour will then head for the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff (29 July-3 August), Canterbury Marlowe (6-10 August), Liverpool Empire (19-24 August), Belfast Grand Opera House (26-31 August), Milton Keynes Theatre (2-7 September), Southend Cliffs Pavilion (9-14 September), Birmingham Hippodrome (16-21 September), Edinburgh Playhouse (7-12 October), Sheffield Theatres (14-19 September), New Wimbledon Theatre (21-26 September), Nottingham Theatre Royal (4-9 November), Newcastle Theatre Royal (11-16 November), Hull New Theatre (18-23 November) and Bradford Theatres (25-30 November).
The 2025 leg of the tour will take in Southampton Mayflower (6-11 January), Aberdeen His Majesty’s Theatre (20-25 January), Glasgow Kings Theatre (27 January-1 February 2024), with further dates to be confirmed.
Commenting on her newest role, Edwards said: “I couldn’t be more thrilled to be invited by the producers to make my directorial debut on the show as a co-director with Paul Kerryson. Hairspray, and this production in particular, has been such a huge part of my life. The show’s story and themes are as relevant as ever and I cannot wait to hold the open auditions to discover a new cast and work together to present a vibrant new production of this timeless musical for everyone to enjoy.”
Composer and co-lyricist Mark Shaiman added: “Brenda Edwards has been a part of the Hairspray family since she took on the role of Motormouth Maybelle in 2015 and hearing that she is co-directing the latest tour is music to my ears. The strength and soul that Brenda brings to both her performances and her life have already made me a fan and I hope a friend for life, and I can’t wait to see how she brings her personal perspective to our show. Brava Brenda!”
Open auditions will be held in November. The creative team for the production also includes set and costume designer Takis and lighting designer Philip Gladwell, with sound design by Ben Harrison, musical supervision and arrangement by Ben Atkinson, musical direction by Richard Atkinson, projection design by George Reeve, casting by Grindrod Burton and resident direction by Juliet Gough.
Based on cult filmmaker John Waters’ 1988 film which starred Divine and Ricki Lake, Hairspray boasts music and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman and a book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan.
With Harvey Fierstein starring as Edna, Hairspray debuted to rave reviews on Broadway in 2002 and subsequently won eight Tony Awards including Best Musical and the leading actor award for Fierstein.
Premiering in London at the Shaftesbury Theatre in 2007, the show won four Laurence Olivier Awards including Best New Musical and the Best Actor Award for Michael Ball.
The touring production featuring direction by Kerryson and choreography by McOnie launched at Leicester Curve in 2015.
Angela Thomas
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