Review: Hairspray, at the London Coliseum

I have been looking forward to this trip for MONTHS!!! Well some annual leave end of, let’s been honest. Since restrictions have been lifted, it has been BUSY!!! 

But fret not, as I have some leave and I am spending an entire week in London, catching up with a LOT of shows, some family and friends and bits and pieces I haven’t done yet. And first on the list was to celebrate my Dad’s birthday with a bit of Michael Ball. 

Yes, Hairspray, which as I am writing this, is in its last week at the London Coliseum. And oddly enough, the last time I was at the Coliseum, was for Chess, which also starred Mr Ball!

I must be honest with you and say I have not seen Hairspray on stage in years. It is of course one of my favourites but the last time I saw it was I think in 2013, just before I left for my 2nd part of Erasmus in Turin; on tour with Mark Benton (aka Chalky) as Edna. But with it being the original production coming back AND Michael Ball coming back to play Edna, I knew we had to get tickets for it. We being me and my parents as they really like this show too….. and then Ms Rona showed up. And we all know what happened there. 

Flash forward to x months later and y number of pushbacks and we finally get to talk about it! 

For those who don’t know, Hairspray tells the story of Tracy Turnblad, a teenager with big hair and a big dream to dance on her favourite TV show. But can she get to dance on the show, win heartthrob Link Larkin AND fight for the African-American community she calls friends despite the bigotry of 60s Baltimore? 

First off, there is a reason why THIS is the production of Hairspray to see. The definitive version is definitely the original one with Jack O’Brien and Jerry Mitchell at the helm. It’s one of those you look it and think that nothing can top how well of an oiled-machine it is. The choreo is classic Jerry Mitchell, the set bubblegum colours and glittery, and the costumes have become iconic. Particularly the You Can’t Stop The Beat getups. It was such a treat to see those back again. 

Moving on from there, I was of course desperate for my parents to see Michael Ball as Edna. He was my first Edna and even though it was YEARS ago I saw him, I can still remember how brilliant he is in that role. The inner message for Welcome to the 60s seemed even more relevant after all of use being in isolation for so long; but even though Edna is a vulnerable character blossoming into a new woman more than anything, I want to bring up Ball’s comic timing. In particular, in his scenes with Les Dennis (The Addams Family). Their banter during (You’re) Timeless To Me had the entire audience in uproar. 

Marisha Wallace (Brooklyn) was a natural choice to play Motormouth Maybelle - while she definitely brought the sassy side out in Big Blonde and Beautiful, my did she bring the power for I Know Where I’ve Been. It’s always been one of those songs that has given my goosebumps; Wallace’s version was no exception. Taking it up a key (!!), she more than earned that early applause. As her adversary, I was very surprised by how good Rita Simon’s singing voice was. She may have turned out to be one of the biggest surprises of the show - a very good Velma Von Tussle if you ask me. 

But the star of the show is Tracy; if you don’t have a good Tracy, you have no show. Luckily for us all, Lizzie Bea (Kinky Boots), is perfectly cast. You fall in love with her as Tracy from her very first line in Good Morning Baltimore; she has a humongous heart that shines throughout the whole auditorium. For me she had the full package - perfectly cast. 

If you are able to see Hairspray before it closes on Wednesday then absolutely do! It is bright bubblegum and feel good, and will make you want to dance in the aisles (Ms Rona-proof of course); but the undertones of segregation seem so relevant after all we’ve been through. The racism showed by characters such as Velma and Amber is sadly still happening; but like what Motormouth sings in her newly-edited YCSTB verse: 

“‘Cause tomorrow is a brand new day, AND IT SEES BOTH WHITE AND BLACK”

This was the perfect way to start: while my parents went back home up North after the show, I stayed down for a full week of theatre 🎭