Music: Marc Shaiman Lyrics: Scott Wittman & Marc Shaiman Book: Mark O’Donnell & Thomas Meehan Director: Paul Kerryson Reviewer: Lizz Clark There’s little more uplifting than a musical about the transformative power of dancing and singing. Hairspray is the tale of Tracy Turnblad, the big little girl growing up in 1960s Baltimore whose youthful exuberance sparks a revolution. Together with ...
Read More »
Writer: Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan Director: Paul Kerryson Choreographer: Drew McOnie Music/ Lyrics: Marc Shaiman Reviewer: Scarlet Wildhorn Since its release in 2003, Hairspray the Musical has toured extensively, both in the UK and in the US. Set in 1962’s Baltimore, racial segregation is rife, but Tracy Turnblad can’t understand why integration is so detested. It’s the sixties after ...
Read More »
Director: Paul Kerryson Book: Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan Music / Lyrics: Marc Shaiman / Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman Reviewer: Helen Tope Hairspray is a musical that moves to its own beat. Born rebellious, the musical derived from John Waters’ 1988 film, is a tale of inequality, difference and why we should care. In 2018, against a background of ...
Read More »
Book: Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan Music: Marc Shaiman Lyrics: Scott Whittman and Marc Shaiman Director: Paul Kerryson Reviewer: Scott Matthewman The big, brash and beautiful Broadway musical Hairspray is perhaps the most sweet-natured take on a John Waters film one could possibly imagine. But while the original film’s lapses into poor taste are softened by the onstage cutesiness, there remains a ...
Read More »
Director: Paul Kerryson Book: Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan Music: Marc Shaiman Lyrics: Scott Whittman and Marc Shaiman Choreographer: Drew McOnie Reviewer: Fraser MacDonald Since its star-studded Hollywood revival in 2007, Hairspray has proven itself to be a favourite for musical theatre audiences across the West. In this inception, on its latest UK tour, it is clear to see why ...
Read More »
Book: Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan Director: Paul Kerryson Choreographer: Drew McOnie Reviewer: Dan English Big numbers, big hair and even bigger hearts aplenty as the UK Tour of Hairspray makes its stop at Dartford’s Orchard Theatre. Despite its 60s setting, the Paul Kerryson directed play still has political clout as protagonist Tracy Turnblad fights back against body-shaming and racial ...
Read More »
Book: Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan Music: Marc Shaiman Lyrics: Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman Director: Paul Kerryson Choreographer: Drew McOnie Musical Director: Ben Atkinson Reviewer: Karen Bussell FUN, glitter, and beehives gel with the fight against bigotry and segregation in the Tony and Olivier Award-winning musical Hairspray. An odd recipe but one that actually works as the hard-hitting ...
Read More »
Book: Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan Music: Marc Shaiman Lyrics: Scott Whittman and Marc Shaiman Director: Paul Kerryson Musical Director: Liam Dunachie Reviewer: Glen Pearce Big Hair, big girls and big fun – Hairspray is sheer in-yer-face fun, perhaps the natural successor to teen musical Grease or even Glee. Unlike Glee, however, this isn’t a teenage group of perfect ...
Read More »
The Reviews Hub Champions of truly nationwide theatre coverage