Reviewed by Tammy and Anthony Wildblood
I must admit, I was excited to do the review for Hairspray, but I was hoping I wouldn’t be disappointed as I doubted the film couldn’t be topped. So off we went on our travels to Wolverhampton Grand which is about 1½ hours from Derby and the journey was pleasant with little traffic. We arrived at Wolverhampton and parked within a couple minutes of walk away. Due to us being early, it did cost us £8 to park for 4-24 hours but 3 hours would have cost about £6 but it gave us chance to go for a bite to eat in the Weatherspoons straight opposite which was cheap, lovely food and drink.
The Wolverhampton Grand Theatre surely did look grand from the outside, and inside wasn’t a disappointment either as there was relaxing music as you entered and there were numerous bars on each level and the decor certainly had the WOW factor. There was the Utopia lounge where you could hire a private booth with wine, prosecco, chocolates, nibbles and waiter service for up to 6 people for a cost of between £50-£60 and found this great value, this would be amazing for a celebration or just a treat. There was also the Encore bar which was a smaller bar with a piano and served all drinks, including hot beverages and we loved the hat lighting. The staff were friendly, inviting and funny and made our night.
We went to our seats and the theatre was stunning with all old features and the atmosphere was buzzing, it clearly showed that everybody was excited. The curtains were down and the lights starting flashing and music filled the air, the show was about to start. Surely everybody has seen the film but just in case you haven’t… the film is about an overweight teenage girl (Tracy Turnblad) who wanted to dance on the Corny Collins TV show but they only allow the stereotypical slim, beautiful on the outside girls and only let black people dance one day a month as what lays at the centre of this film is the serious subject of segregation but Tracy wants to change that!!
You had to have eyes everywhere for his show as there was so much going on as the stage was sometimes split into three scenes which were created by the lighting of the show; the lighting was brilliant and added so much to the show. There was so much sparkle, colour and energy.
Newcomer Rebecca Mendoza was a truly amazing performer and we were wowed by her performance which was electric. Rebecca played an amazing Tracy Turnblad and we loved her expressions, mannerisms, dancing, singing and her overall performance and she stayed true to her character every second, even when she was on the sidelines. You couldn’t stop watching her! 5/5, a truly amazing star.
We weren’t expecting a dame in the show, but we got one and you couldn’t fault Matt Rixon’s performance as Edna Turnblad. He was outstanding and extremely comical, especially with improvisation when there was a little mishap… we were all crying with laughter and when paired with Graham MacDuff even though he had stepped in as the understudy for Wilbur Turnblad but you never would have thought it! He was another comical character and paired with Matt Rixon they were a duo not to forget. Graham is a joy to watch. You could tell that these two just loved working together and the chemistry between the two of them was just majestic and a magical comedy duo. 5/5n joyous character’s.
Annalise Liard-Bailey who played Penny Pingleton was hilarious all the way through, from her dancing or should I say… not so good dancing to her amazing acting as a geeky girl. Annalise played a massive part in this show and it wouldn’t have been the same without her. 5/5, geeky gorgeous.
Brenda Edwards was Motormouth Maybelle and WOW what an outstanding voice. The onlookers were stunned and mesmerised during one song where her voice filled the theatre and she owned the stage. Brenda was a great actor and played her part really well. 5/5, outstanding voice.
Gina Murray played Velma von Tussle and her facial expressions were fabulous and she had attitude. Gina strutted the stage and had great confidence in her part but for some reason Gina just lacked energy for us as we felt she wasn’t in character at all times. 4/5, fabulous attitude.
Jon Tsouras who played Corny Collins was a great entertainer and had loads of energy; he was a star in his own right. Jon hosted the show just like it was in the film, top job all round. 5/5, lively energetic character.
Layton Williams played Seaweed and we absolutely loved him, what an amazing dancer. Layton’s energy was electric! We couldn’t take our eyes off him and it seemed that he felt so lucky to be in the show and boy you could see it. We could watch him over and over. 5/5, electric.
Edward Chitticks played Link Larkin, oh boy what a star, his acting, the singing and the owning of the stage. Edward’s sheer presence on stage showed you he was loving his part in the performance. He seized the moment and the crowd loved him. 5/5, superb.
We could go on all night explaining all the actors and how they performed but I won’t as this play does not need us to tell you. You really have to see this for yourself because there really are no words which will justify the feel good, musical Broadway show. PHENOMENAL is one word that springs to mind and I’m sure word of mouth will get people flocking to their seats to see this high energy all singing, all dancing production. For us, this is a million times better than the film itself as we could watch this over and over again. You will not be disappointed!!
This is up definitely up there as one of the top 3 musicals we have had the pleasure of seeing. This is 100% a must see show and you won’t be disappointed for the money and take your whole family as it’s suitable for young and old. If you love the film, you’ll love the show even more.
As the song goes in the play ‘You can’t stop the beat’, well you stopped the beat when you all stopped acting and singing… our only negative was that it didn’t go on long enough!!
A phenomenal show!
Rating: 5/5
Tickets cost from £22.50 to £55 (booking fees may apply).
Hairspray is at the Wolverhampton Grand from 26 February to 3 March 2018, for more information or to book tickets visit www.grandtheatre.co.uk or call the box office on 01902 429 212.
The Grand Theatre Wolverhampton, Lichfield Street, Wolverhampton, WV1 1DE
