Hairspray – Milton Keynes Theatre and Touring

Picture: Ellie Kurttz 

Hairspray continues at the Milton Keynes Theatre until 7 September 2024. The tour continues until 19 April 2025.

Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

There are so many musicals touring the UK and Ireland nowadays that it is easy to take for granted what is involved in transporting a production from one venue to another in record time – and then opening the show in a brand new space without any obvious hitches or hiccups.

I wonder if that transition contributed to the rather frenetic energy that came across in Act I of Hairspray on its first night at the Milton Keynes Theatre. It wasn’t as if the cast – both principals and ensemble members – weren’t giving their all, it was more that the nervous energy in the room was ramping up to a level where the storytelling was getting a little lost. Slightly shouty vocals and some issues with sound balance here and there didn’t help either.

However, it wasn’t too long before the pace settled down and Paul Kerryson and Brenda Edwards’ staging could get into its stride. Overall, Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan’s libretto – celebrating friendship, love, bravery justice, equality and embracing difference – holds up well and, perhaps sadly, still very much resonates in society today.

But where the piece reaches another level is in the outstanding score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman – consistently exuding joy but also delivering a powerful message as ‘Negro day’ becomes every day at the once segregated 1960s all-singing, all-dancing TV programme, The Corny Collins Show.

Leading the charge to make that change is of course our heroine Tracy Turnblad, on this occasion played with non-stop energy and charm (not to mention impressive vocals) by Katie Brace. It would seem that Brace had stepped in to save the day, as she isn’t normally part of this production, although fans of the show will remember how good she was as Tracy in a previous No. 1 tour. If this change was very last minute, no one would ever have guessed, so congratulations to everyone involved, especially Brace.

Attempting to keep Tracy on the straight and narrow are her doting parents, Neil Hurst’s vivacious Edna and Dermot Canavan’s cheeky Wilbur. As the evening progresses Hurst’s comic timing gets sharper and he is a joy in the big numbers like ‘Welcome to the 60’s’ and ‘You Can’t Stop the Beat’ (the show is brilliantly choreographed throughout by Drew McOnie). ‘You’re Timeless to Me’ is always a bit of a showstopper and Hurst and Canavan don’t disappoint, throwing in a few ad-libs here and there.

In fact, there’s not a dud performance across the board. The always awesome Gina Murray is a camply villainous Velma Von Tussle (who busts some impressive moves during ‘Miss Baltimore Crabs’) and Allana Taylor, as her dastardly daughter Amber, also makes her mark (here’s hoping this actress’ next role features even more of her vocal range).

The role of Link Larkin can prove to be a little bland at time, but Solomon Davy gives it lots of personality accompanied by a smooth, silky singing voice, and triple threat Reece Richards never lets his energy levels droop as an extremely likeable Seaweed.

Shout-outs also go to Katlo (Little Inez), Declan Egan (Corny Collins) and Freya McMahon (Penny Pingleton).

On the evening in question, Act II really packed a punch, not least because of Michelle Ndegwa’s stunning rendition of ‘I Know Where I’ve Been’, a galvanising call to action from Motormouth Maybelle that had several members of the audience on their feet.

While Hairspray is something of a classic, it is looking a little creaky in places (the PE teacher and prison officer caricatures are unnecessarily creepy, for example), and there is room for some contemporary context to the staging (without having to be radical). Takis’ set, apart from some sliding platforms arriving from the wings, is also one long series of projections (design by George Reeve).

So a few reservations, but nothing to really undermine the joy-filled content that ends with one of the best closing musical theatre numbers ever written, boosted by a line-up of live musicians led by MD Richard Atkinson (new orchestrations by Ben Atkinson). In the end the Milton Keynes audience couldn’t stop their dancing feet – which bodes well for the rest of the tour.

Lisa Martland